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Natural Environment Bill

Foundations - Key instruments

28: Purposes of key instruments

You could also call this:

"What key environment plans are used for"

Illustration for Natural Environment Bill

The Natural Environment Bill is a proposed law that will change how we manage our environment. You will see several key instruments in this bill, including national policy directions, national standards, and regional spatial plans. These instruments have specific purposes, such as setting goals and resolving conflicts. You can find the purpose of national policy directions in section 78 of this Act and the Planning Act 2025. The purpose of national standards is found in section 83 and includes implementing national policy direction and providing consistency. Regional spatial plans are described in section 67 of the Planning Act 2025 and set the strategic direction for development in a region. Other key instruments include natural environment plans, which are described in section 92, and regional combined plans, described in section 63 of the Planning Act 2025. These plans help manage the use of natural resources and support public access to plans. If there is any inconsistency between the purpose of a key instrument and how it is described in the relevant section, the relevant section is the one that prevails.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1548610.

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Environment and resources > ConservationEnvironment and resources > Town planning
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Part 2Foundations
Key instruments

28Purposes of key instruments

  1. The following overview sets out the purpose of each key instrument as provided by the relevant section of this Act and the Planning Act 2025:

     

    Overview of purposes of key instruments

    The purpose of national policy directions (as provided by section 78) 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 Planning Act 2025.

        		1.

        The purpose of national standards (as provided by section 83) is to do 1 or more of the following:

      1. implement national policy direction:
        1. provide procedural or 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 of the Planning Act 2025) 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 the Planning Act 2025 and this Act; and
                  1. implement national instruments made under the Planning Act 2025 and this Act 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 natural environment plans (as provided by section 92) is to–

                        1. enable and regulate the use, protection, and enhancement of natural resources within a region; and
                          1. assist regional councils in carrying out their functions and responsibilities under this Act.

                              		1.

                              The purpose of regional combined plans (as provided by section 63 of the Planning Act 2025) 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.