Proposed Amendments to the Electricity Act 1992
The proposed amendments to the Electricity Act 1992 are to be made alongside proposed amendments to the Resource Management Act 1991, in the omnibus ‘Resource Management and Electricity Legislation Amendment Bill’ (text file).
The proposed changes to the Electricity Act are consistent with the purpose of the Bill. The changes as outlined in the second paragraph of the Bill focus on “improving the quality of decisions and processes by increasing certainty and reducing delays, costs, and incorrect use of processes, while ensuring appropriate public participation and the meeting of environmental objectives”.
The proposed amendments to sections 24 and 31 of the Electricity Act will improve the quality of decisions and processes and reduce delays by giving electricity operators statutory rights of appeal and statutory timeframes regarding the conditions that road and rail controlling authorities may prescribe for high voltage works over or under roads and level crossings. The proposed amendments will clarify that the environmental effects of high voltage works in the road corridor are best managed using processes under the Resource Management Act, and not via the access conditions that a road controlling authority might otherwise prescribe.
The amendments have been proposed following consultation by the Ministry of Economic Development. A summary of written submissions and a document explaining the government’s decisions are now available on the Ministry for Economic Development's website.
For more information see Electricity Works above 110kV and 100MVA on Roads and Level Crossings on the Ministry for Economic Development's website.
Last updated: 6 May 2008
