Skip to main content.

Implementation and Review

The majority of the proposals to address problems with the RMA will be given effect to by legislative amendment. Legislative amendments will be complemented by guidance and communications material to assist local authorities in understanding how the amendments will impact on them, their processes, and how they are expected to respond.

After the bill is enacted in late 2009 the Ministry for the Environment will commence monitoring the effect and implementation of the Act, investigate performance and take actions to remedy poor implementation in accordance with the functions and powers of the Minister for the Environment currently set out the RMA.

The Ministry for the Environment conducts bi-annual surveys of council performance, including compliance with statutory timeframes. The next monitoring period will capture the 2009-2010 period; this data becoming available in late 2010. This will enable a comprehensive review of the effect of these amendments one year to 18 months after enactment and quantitative evaluation against past trends.

An Environmental Protection Agency will be established in the second phase of reform that will hold the responsibility for administering an enhanced monitoring programme. This will improve the government’s ability to accurately evaluate local authority and RMA implementation performance against clearly articulated expectations. 

 

[ Previous | Next ]