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Planning Bill

Foundations - Key instruments

27: Purposes of key instruments

You could also call this:

"What key planning documents are for"

Illustration for Planning Bill

The Planning Bill is a proposed law that will change how New Zealand plans for its future. You will see several key instruments in this bill, including national policy direction, national standards, regional spatial plans, land use plans, and regional combined plans. These instruments have different purposes, which are explained in the bill. The purpose of national policy direction is to help achieve certain goals and resolve conflicts between different goals. You can find more information about national policy direction in section 54 of the bill. It will also help with goals in section 11 of the Natural Environment Act 2025. National standards have several purposes, including implementing national policy direction and providing consistency. You can find more information about national standards in section 59 of the bill. They will also provide direction on how to achieve certain goals. Regional spatial plans will set the direction for development and investment in a region. You can find more information about regional spatial plans in section 67 of the bill. They will also help integrate decision-making under this bill and the Natural Environment Act 2025. Land use plans will regulate the use and development of land within a district. You can find more information about land use plans in section 75 of the bill. They will also assist territorial authorities with their functions and responsibilities. Regional combined plans will support public access to plans developed by local authorities. You can find more information about regional combined plans in section 63 of the bill. If there is any inconsistency between the purpose of a key instrument and what is provided in the relevant section, the relevant section will prevail.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1546485.

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Part 2Foundations
Key instruments

27Purposes of key instruments

  1. The following overview sets out the purpose of each key instrument as provided by the relevant section of this Act.

     

    Overview of purposes of key instruments

    The purpose of national policy direction (as provided by section 54) is to do 1 or both of the following:

  2. particularise the goals and direct how they must be achieved:
    1. help resolve conflicts between the goals in section 11 of this Act and the goals in section 11 of the Natural Environment Act 2025.

        		1.

        The purpose of national standards (as provided by section 59) is to do 1 ore more of the following:

      1. implement national policy direction:
        1. provide procedural and administrative consistency:
          1. provide regulatory consistency:
            1. provide specific direction on how a goal is to be achieved in relation to a matter that is not covered by a national policy direction.

                		1.

                The purpose of regional spatial plans (as provided by section 67) is to—

              1. set the strategic direction for development and public investment priorities in a region for a time span of not less than 30 years; and
                1. enable integration at the strategic level of decision-making under this Act and the Natural Environment Act 2025; and
                  1. implement national instruments made under this Act and the Natural Environment Act 2025 in a way that provides for use and development within environmental limits; and
                    1. support a co-ordinated approach to infrastructure funding and investment by central government, local authorities, and other infrastructure providers; and
                      1. promote integration of development planning with infrastructure planning and investment.

                          		1.

                          The purpose of the preparation, implementation, and administration of land use plans (as provided by section 75) is to—

                        1. enable and regulate the use and development of land within a district (including subdivision and activities on the surface of water bodies); and
                          1. assist territorial authorities in carrying out their functions and responsibilities under this Act.

                              		1.

                              The purpose of regional combined plans (as provided by section 63) is to support public access to plans developed by local authorities within a region.

                            1. In the event of any inconsistency between how the purpose of a key instrument is set out in the overview and how it is provided for in the relevant section, the relevant section prevails.