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Natural Environment Bill

Combined plan and other matters - National environment plans - Adaptive management and incentives

104: Plan may require adaptive management approach

You could also call this:

"Plan must be flexible and change when needed to protect the environment"

Illustration for Natural Environment Bill

A new law is being proposed that could change how we manage the natural environment. You might see a natural environment plan that includes rules for using an adaptive management approach when doing certain activities. This approach means being flexible and changing your plans if needed. The rules in the plan must follow certain requirements, which are outlined in section 167(2)(a) to (c) of the proposed law. You can also find other provisions that might be included in section 167(2)(d) to (f). When deciding on these rules, a panel or regional council must follow section 167(3) and (4) of the proposed law. This means they have to consider certain things when making decisions about adaptive management approaches. You can find more information about this in the proposed Natural Environment Bill. The bill is trying to make sure we manage our natural environment in a way that is flexible and responsive to change.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1537531.

This page was last updated on 14 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Environment and resources > ConservationEnvironment and resources > Town planningGovernment and voting > Local councils

103: Activities with effects on relationship of customary marine title group with customary marine title area, or

"Protecting Your Group's Connection to the Marine Area"

105: Methods relating to incentives, or

"How you can get rewards for helping the environment"

Part 3Combined plan and other matters
National environment plans: Adaptive management and incentives

104Plan may require adaptive management approach

A natural environment plan may include provisions that require an adaptive management approach to be used in relation to any activity.
Provisions in a plan that require an adaptive management approach—
must meet the requirements of section 167(2)(a) to (c); and
may include provisions described in section 167(2)(d) to (f).

In determining whether to recommend and when deciding provisions that require an adaptive management approach, the independent hearings panel or the regional council (as the case requires) must comply with section 167(3) and (4) as if references in that section to a consent authority were references to the panel or the regional council.