Skip to main content.

Feedback about the Resource Management Act during 2002 and 2003

The key points from the Ministry's discussions with government agencies, local government, business, practitioner and environmental groups, and the wider community in 2002 and 2003 are outlined below.

The major concerns expressed were about:

  • council performance in terms of commitment to sustainable environmental management
  • council ability to run a sufficiently robust and efficient process with existing resource constraints
  • unreasonably complex and costly procedures for relatively minor issues
  • inconsistencies in the approach adopted by various councils
  • the need to deal with multiple authorities about a single development
  • the lack of clear national guidance on infrastructure priorities and failure to give appropriate recognition to the importance of investment in infrastructure
  • the need to maintain opportunities to review decisions in a well-respected independent forum but to avoid any unnecessary duplication and/or delays.

Suggestions to improve the process included:

  • addressing council resource and capacity issues, and providing additional support for participation in resource management processes
  • use of national policies, standards and standard procedures to help achieve greater consistency while leaving room for regional differences and variations
  • establishing clear national guidance on infrastructure priorities and how such issues should be approached in decision making
  • where many authorities are involved and the issues are complex, appointing a suitably skilled and independent decision making panel to hear all applications associated with the development
  • making greater use of alternative dispute resolution tools to resolved outstanding concerns
  • where a case does go to Court, limiting unnecessary duplication by controlling new evidence, ensuring appropriate support for the Court directions, and providing for preliminary review of appeals.

Last updated: 6 May 2008