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58D: Preparation of national planning standards
or “Rules for making national plans that everyone can understand and follow”

You could also call this:

“The Minister checks reports, makes changes if needed, and decides whether to approve or withdraw the planning rules.”

When the Minister wants to approve a national planning standard, they need to do a few things first. They must look at the report and recommendations given to them about the standard. They also need to do another check of the draft standard using a special process called section 32AA. The Minister needs to think carefully about this check when deciding whether to approve the standard.

The Minister has a couple of choices. They can approve the standard after making changes they think are needed. Or, they can decide not to go ahead with all or part of the draft standard. If they choose not to go ahead, they need to tell the public why.

Once approved, national planning standards are a type of law called secondary legislation. This means they need to be published in a certain way, which is explained in another law called the Legislation Act 2019.

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Next up: 58F: Publication of national planning standards and other documents

or “The Minister must make sure everyone can easily find and use the rules for planning in New Zealand”

Part 5 Standards, policy statements, and plans
National direction: National planning standards

58EApproval of national planning standard

  1. Before approving a national planning standard, the Minister must—

  2. consider the report and recommendations made under section 58D(3)(d)(ii); and
      1. carry out a further evaluation of the draft national planning standard in accordance with section 32AA and have particular regard to that evaluation when deciding whether to approve the national planning standard.
        1. The Minister may—

        2. approve a national planning standard after changing the draft in the manner that the Minister thinks fit; or
          1. withdraw all or part of a draft national planning standard and give public notice of the withdrawal, including the reasons for the withdrawal.
            1. National planning standards under this section are secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

            2. Repealed
            Notes
            • Section 58E: inserted, on , by section 50 of the Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 15).
            • Section 58E(1)(aa): repealed, on , by section 6 of the Resource Management (Natural and Built Environment and Spatial Planning Repeal and Interim Fast-track Consenting) Act 2023 (2023 No 68).
            • Section 58E(3): replaced, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).
            • Section 58E(4): repealed, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).