Questions and answers on the proposed National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation
What is a national policy statement?
The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) provides for the preparation of national policy statements to provide guidance on resource management issues of national significance. The RMA enables the government to prepare national policy statements to help direct decision making at the national, regional and local levels. Councils need to ensure that their policy statements and plans give effect to a national policy statement. A national policy statement is subject to the sustainable management purpose of the RMA.
Why do we need a national policy statement for renewable electricity generation?
The New Zealand Energy Strategy establishes the government’s sustainable energy goals. In support of these goals the government has adopted the target for renewable electricity generation of 90 percent by 2025 (based on delivered electricity in an average hydrological year).
In order to meet this target we will need to significantly increase the proportion of electricity generated from renewable energy sources in New Zealand.
Development that increases renewable electricity generation capacity can, however, have environmental effects that span local, regional and national scales, often with adverse effects manifesting locally and positive effects manifesting nationally. In particular, the natural resources from which electricity is generated can coincide with areas of significant natural character, significant amenity values, historic heritage, outstanding natural features and landscapes, significant indigenous vegetation and significant habitats of indigenous fauna.
This national policy statement clarifies the government’s position on the benefits of renewable electricity generation. By doing so it will promote a nationally consistent approach to balancing the competing values associated with the development of New Zealand’s renewable energy resources will provide greater certainty to decision-makers, applicants and the wider community.
What does the proposed National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation intend to achieve?
- Encourage consistent decision-making throughout New Zealand when assessing RMA-applications to develop renewable electricity generation capacity.
- Assist with the balancing of competing national and local values by clarifying the government’s position on the benefits of renewable electricity generation.
- Enable identification of renewable electricity generation possibilities.
- Support opportunities for the development of community-scale renewable electricity generation, with limited environmental effects, in rural and island communities.
- Help provide greater certainty to decision makers, developers and the wider community.
How does this national policy statement relate to other government initiatives and policies?
1. Climate change and energy initiatives
Because the national policy statement promotes renewable electricity generation activities, it also supports the government’s policies on climate change. The policy statement will, for example, assist New Zealand in meeting its greenhouse gas emissions obligations under the Kyoto Protocol by promoting the uptake of carbon-neutral or low-carbon renewable electricity generation.
2. The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management
The proposed National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation and the proposed National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management both relate to hydro-electricity generation. The former will provide direction and guidance on the benefits of renewable energy. The latter will provide direction and guidance on the appropriate use and/or allocation of water resources. When considering applications to develop hydro-generation, RMA decision-makers will need to have regard to both national policy statements.
3. The National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission
The policies of the National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission (which facilitates the operation, maintenance, upgrade and development of the electricity transmission network) are complementary to the National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation. The implementation timeframes for these two have been aligned to help minimise costs for councils (that occur from plan changes) and those who intend to be involved in the associated plan changes (through submissions).
What effect will the proposed national policy statement have on the responsibilities of councils?
- The proposed national policy statement will provide guidance and direction to local authorities on the sustainable management of renewable electricity generation activities. It does not set rules or standards for managing these activities. Councils will still be responsible for setting rules and standards, but will be guided by the proposed national policy statement when doing so.
- Local authorities are required to give effect to the national policy statement. This will require them to have regard to the relevant provisions of the national policy statement in day-to-day resource management activities relating to renewable electricity generation activities, including the consideration of resource consent applications, designations or plan changes.
- Local authorities are also required to amend their existing plans and policy statements (where necessary) within specified timeframes. Local authorities are required to consult with their communities before they can make these changes.
Will the national policy statement mean extra cost for local government?
There will be additional costs to local government associated with changing their plans. The costs to local authorities for implementing this national policy statement are estimated to be $23.5 million, over a twenty-year period. The majority of these costs relate to additional staffing and administrative requirements, and are associated with plan changes necessary to give effect to the national policy statement. Estimates ignore the potential for synergy with other related plan changes and are based on the assumption that there will be one plan change process per regional council, unitary authority and territorial authority specific to this national policy statement. Estimates also do not attempt to capture the potential benefits (reduced costs) that will result from increasing the clarity of the regulatory environment as it relates to renewable electricity generation.
How can people make a submission on the proposed national policy statement to the Board of Inquiry?
An independent Board of Inquiry has been appointed by the Minister for the Environment to inquire into and report on the proposed national policy statement.
The Board will establish a process for receiving public submissions, both written and oral. The process, including the time and place of hearings, will be notified through public notices in national and local newspapers. The Board may also commission reports. The duration of hearings will depend on the number and nature of submissions.
Once New Zealanders’ views have been heard, the Board will provide its report to the Minister for the Environment. The Minister will then consider the report, as well as a final section 32 evaluation report and Regulatory Impact Statement, and may make changes.
The final step is the approval of the national policy statement by the Governor-General and gazettal.
Will this national policy statement open up all rivers for damming and all hillsides for windfarms?
No. It is not the intention of the national policy statement to promote renewable electricity generation at any environmental cost. The direction given by the national policy statement will be considered within the existing suite of environmental protections set out by the RMA. This will ensure that any adverse environmental effects associated with renewable electricity generation activities are managed appropriately.
How will the NPS impact landowners?
The national policy statement will not affect landowners’ rights.
Will the NPS allow energy generators to circumvent the RMA processes?
No. Anyone seeking to develop renewable electricity generation activities will still need to obtain the necessary landowner approval(s) and resource consent(s) before they can proceed.
Will the NPS make it easier for landowners to set up small electricity generation projects, such as a wind turbine?
The proposed national policy statement seeks to remove unnecessary barriers to the acquisition of resource consent for the development of small and community scale renewable electricity generation projects, with limited environmental effects.
Last updated: 24 October 2008
