Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Resource Management Act 1991

Interpretation and application

2AC: Availability of documents

You could also call this:

“This law tells us how government papers can be shared with people online instead of in person.”

This section of the law talks about how certain documents should be made available to you and other people. These documents include information, public notices, reports, evidence, and policy statements or plans.

If the law says a document must be available for you to see in a physical form at a specific place like a council office or library, there’s now a different way to do this. From 25 March 2020, the person in charge of making the document available can put it on a website for free instead. They also need to tell you how to find or get the document.

The person in charge can still choose to let you see the document in person if they want to. If you ask for a paper copy, they can also sell you one for a reasonable price.

This new way of sharing documents applies to any that need to be available for the public, certain groups of people, or specific individuals to see, whether it’s free or for a small cost.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS350207.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Town planning
Government and voting > Local councils
Rights and equality > Privacy
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“This explains how someone must tell everyone about something important by putting it on the internet and in newspapers.”

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“This law explains that when it talks about a person, it also means anyone who takes over from that person.”

Part 1 Interpretation and application

2ACAvailability of documents

  1. In this section, document includes the following if they are required to be made available for inspection to the public, a class of members of the public, a person, or a class of persons, whether free of charge or at a reasonable cost:

  2. information of any kind; and
    1. public notices of any kind; and
      1. reports and evidence of any kind; and
        1. policy statements and plans of any kind, together with any changes or variations of those documents.

          1. This section applies if this Act requires a document to be made available for inspection in physical form to the public, a class of members of the public, a person, or a class of persons at a specified place such as council offices or a library.

          2. This section applies on and from 25 March 2020.

          3. The requirement referred to in subsection (2) is satisfied if the person responsible for making the document available—

          4. makes it available in electronic form free of charge on an Internet site; and
            1. provides advice on how the document may be obtained or accessed.

              1. In addition, the person responsible for making a document available may—

              2. make it available for inspection; and
                1. upon request, make a physical copy of the document available for purchase at a reasonable cost.

                  1. Repealed
                  Notes
                  • Section 2AC: inserted, on , by section 3 of the COVID-19 Response (Further Management Measures) Legislation Act 2020 (2020 No 13).
                  • Section 2AC heading: amended, on , by section 5(1) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 30).
                  • Section 2AC(6) heading: repealed, on , by section 5(2) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 30).
                  • Section 2AC(6): repealed, on , by section 5(3) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 30).