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83: Procedural requirements deemed to be observed
or “Rules for making plans are considered followed unless someone proves otherwise in court”
You could also call this:

“Local councils must follow and make sure others follow their own rules and plans”

When a policy statement or plan is in effect, you need to know that the regional council or territorial authority responsible for it, as well as any consent authority, must follow it. They also have to make sure others follow it as much as they can.

If someone tries to give a resource consent, or if they try to ignore or change the policy statement or plan in any way, it won’t be allowed unless the law says it’s okay. This means that no one can go against the policy statement or plan without permission from the law.

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Next up: 85: Environment Court may give directions in respect of land subject to controls

or “ The court can tell people to change land rules if they are too strict and unfair for landowners. ”
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Part 5 Standards, policy statements, and plans
Miscellaneous matters

84Local authorities to observe their own policy statements and plans

  1. While a policy statement or a plan is operative, the regional council or territorial authority concerned, and every consent authority, shall observe and, to the extent of its authority, enforce the observance of the policy statement or plan.

  2. No purported grant of a resource consent, and no waiver or sufferance or departure from a policy statement or plan, whether written or otherwise, shall, unless authorised by this Act, have effect in so far as it is contrary to subsection (1).