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42D: Secretary for the Environment to exercise functions of EPA
or “The boss of the Environment team can do the jobs of the Environmental Protection Authority.”
You could also call this:

“This section explains the meanings of important words used in the law about land and environment.”

In this part of the law, you’ll find explanations for important terms used in the Resource Management Act 1991. These definitions help you understand what certain words mean when you read about standards, policy statements, and plans.

A ‘change’ means two things. It can be a change that a local authority wants to make to a policy statement or plan. It can also be a change that anyone else suggests for a policy statement or plan.

A ‘district plan’ is a plan that a territorial authority has approved. It includes all the changes made to the plan over time.

When a policy statement, plan, or part of one is ‘operative’, it means it has officially started working and hasn’t stopped being used.

A ‘plan’ can mean either a regional plan or a district plan.

A ‘policy statement’ means a regional policy statement.

A ‘proposed policy statement’ is one that has been publicly announced but isn’t officially working yet.

A ‘regional coastal plan’ is a plan that the Minister of Conservation has approved. It includes all the changes made to the plan over time.

A ‘regional plan’ is a plan that a regional council has approved. It includes all the changes made to the plan and also includes regional coastal plans.

A ‘regional policy statement’ is a statement that a regional council has approved. It includes all the changes made to the statement over time.

A ‘rule’ can mean either a district rule or a regional rule.

A ‘variation’ is a change that a local authority makes to a proposed policy statement, plan, or change.

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Next up: 43AAB: Meaning of district rule and regional rule

or “Rules made by local councils for their areas and regions”
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Part 5 Standards, policy statements, and plans

43AAInterpretation

  1. In this Act, unless the context requires another meaning,—

    change means—

    1. a change proposed by a local authority to a policy statement or plan under clause 2 of Schedule 1, including an IPI notified in accordance with section 80F(1) or (2); and
      1. a change proposed by any person to a policy statement or plan by a request under clause 21 of Schedule 1

        district plan—

        1. means an operative plan approved by a territorial authority under Schedule 1; and
          1. includes all operative changes to the plan (whether arising from a review or otherwise)

            operative, in relation to a policy statement or plan, or a provision of a policy statement or plan, means that the policy statement, plan, or provision—

            1. has become operative—
              1. in terms of clause 20 of Schedule 1; or
                1. under section 86F; and
                2. has not ceased to be operative

                  plan means a regional plan or a district plan

                    policy statement means a regional policy statement

                      proposed policy statement means a proposed policy statement that has been notified under clause 5 of Schedule 1, or given limited notification under clause 5A of that schedule, but has not become operative in terms of clause 20 of that schedule

                        regional coastal plan—

                        1. means an operative plan approved by the Minister of Conservation under Schedule 1; and
                          1. includes all operative changes to the plan (whether arising from a review or otherwise)

                            regional plan—

                            1. means an operative plan approved by a regional council under Schedule 1 (including all operative changes to the plan (whether arising from a review or otherwise)); and
                              1. includes a regional coastal plan

                                regional policy statement—

                                1. means an operative regional policy statement approved by a regional council under Schedule 1; and
                                  1. includes all operative changes to the policy statement (whether arising from a review or otherwise)

                                    rule means a district rule or a regional rule

                                      variation means an alteration by a local authority under clause 16A of Schedule 1 to—

                                      1. a proposed policy statement or plan; or
                                        1. a change.

                                        Notes
                                        • Section 43AA: inserted, on , by section 42 of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
                                        • Section 43AA change: replaced, on , by section 5 of the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 (2021 No 59).
                                        • Section 43AA proposed policy statement: amended, on , by section 25(a) of the Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 15).
                                        • Section 43AA proposed policy statement: amended, on , by section 25(b) of the Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 15).