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Natural Environment Bill

Foundations - National instruments - National standards

84: What national standards can do

You could also call this:

"National standards: rules to protect the environment"

Illustration for Natural Environment Bill

The proposed law says national standards can give directions about activities that affect the environment. You can think of national standards like a set of rules that help keep our environment safe. These rules can say what you can and can't do. National standards can also give directions about how to make plans to protect the environment. These plans are like guides that help people make good choices about how to use natural resources. The standards can say what needs to be included in these plans. The proposed law also says that if there are conditions in a plan and conditions in a national standard that are the same, the conditions in the standard are more important. National standards can also allow regional councils to charge people for monitoring certain activities. This means regional councils can keep an eye on what people are doing and make sure they are following the rules.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1551602.

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Topics:
Environment and resources > ConservationEnvironment and resources > Town planningGovernment and voting > Local councils
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83: Purpose of national standards, or

"What national standards are for"

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85: Minister must ensure national standards enables resource use only within environmental limits, or

"Minister makes rules to protect the environment when using natural resources"

Part 2Foundations
National instruments: National standards

84What national standards can do

  1. National standards may give directions that—

  2. allow, restrict, or prohibit an activity:
    1. classify an activity or state how it is be classified:
      1. specify conditions that must or may be imposed on a natural resource permit for an activity:
        1. require as a condition of a permit, compliance with requirements specified in the standards or in a plan or proposed plan:
          1. restrict the making of a rule or the granting of a permit to matters specified in the standards:
            1. specify whether an application for a permit for an activity must be notified or precluded from being notified for public or targeted submissions:
              1. may state how environmental limits must be applied, achieved, or implemented; and
                1. provide for any exceptions that apply to infrastructure; and
                  1. specify in relation to a rule made before the commencement of the national standards,—
                    1. the extent to which any matter to which the standard applies continues to have effect; or
                      1. the time period during which any matter to which the standard applies continues to have effect.

                      2. National standards may give directions for the preparation of natural environment plans, including directions relating to—

                      3. standard processes and methodologies:
                        1. objectives and policies that plans must implement:
                          1. objectives, policies, and rules (including for the purpose of zones and overlays) that plans must include:
                            1. other content that must be included in plans (for example, definitions).

                              1. National standards may include requirements relating to—

                              2. the structure and form of a plan:
                                1. electronic accessibility and functionality of a plan:
                                  1. processes, methodologies, or implementation:
                                    1. measuring, monitoring, and reporting:
                                      1. records that must be kept and how they must be kept:
                                        1. any other matter for the purpose of a national standards or implementation of national standards.

                                          1. If conditions in a plan deal with effects of an activity that are the same as those dealt with in the conditions specified in a national standard, the conditions in the standard prevail˙.

                                          2. National standards may empower regional councils to charge for monitoring any specified permitted activities in the standard.