Skip to this page's content Skip to access keys
Go to home page [Ministry for the Environment]

Home | Contact us | Related links | Site map
Working
with you		 | The
issues		 | Laws and
treaties		 | State of the
environment		 | Publications | About the
Ministry

You are here: Resource Management Act Contains: Improving and implementing the RMA Contains:

National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission

The National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission was gazetted on 13 March 2008.

What is ‘electricity transmission’?

The national grid is the high voltage transmission network that carries electricity around the country. It is made up of over 12,000 km of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 170 substations. It connects power stations to substations that feed local electricity distribution networks.

What is the National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission?

  • A statement from central government to recognise the national significance of our national grid in RMA plans and local decision making.
  • A high-level framework that will give guidance across New Zealand for the management and future planning of the national grid.

What does it do?

  • It acknowledges the national significance of the national grid, which now has to be considered in local decision making on resource management.
  • It recognises the national benefits we all get from electricity transmission, such as better security of supply of electricity for example.
  • It gives guidance to local decision makers in the management of the impacts of the transmission network on its environment.
  • It also guides the management of the adverse effects of activities from third parties on the grid. This will help reduce constraints on the operation, maintenance, upgrading and development of the grid.
  • It ensures long term strategic planning for elements of the national grid.

Why is this needed?

  • The efficient transmission of electricity on the national grid plays a vital role in the well-being of New Zealand, its people and the environment.
  • The government has developed a national policy statement to acknowledge the national significance of the national grid and to ensure that there is balanced consideration of the national benefits and the local effects of electricity transmission.
  • Previously, there was no national framework that local government could use when they had to decide on proposals for transmission lines.

Who will be affected?

  • The National Policy Statement directly affects decision makers in local government. They will have to take the National Policy Statement into account when drafting plans, and have regard for it when making decisions about resource consents, alongside other considerations under the Resource Management Act.
  • The national policy statement will also have to be considered by the grid operator.

How did the National Policy Statement come about?

  • The National Policy Statement is the result of a robust statutory process of public consultation under the RMA.
  • An independent Board of Inquiry was appointed in 2007 to hear public views on the proposed National Policy Statement and prepare recommendations.
  • A wide range of views from groups and organisations was received.
  • The Board reported back to the Minister for the Environment at the end of 2007. The final National Policy Statement closely follows the recommendations of the Board.
  • The government has been looking at options for national guidance since January 2005 when it first established a reference group to look at transmission issues. This group said a national policy statement would help in the management of electricity transmission.
  • This reference group was made up of central and local government, the Electricity Commission, Transpower, Federated Farmers and Business New Zealand.

Board of inquiry terms of reference on the Proposed National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission

Proposed National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission

Proposed National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission Evaluation under Section 32 of the Resource Management Act 1991

What happens now?

  • The national policy statement sets the overall policy framework for electricity transmission and contains policies that will need to be taken into account when councils draft plans and that councils will have to have regard for individual projects are considered under the Resource Management Act.

What does the policy statement mean for individual transmission projects?

  • The national policy statement does not refer to any individual transmission network projects but will be a consideration for decision makers.
  • It forms part of the overall policy framework and contains policies that will need to be taken into account when individual projects are considered under the Resource Management Act.

How does the national policy statement link with the proposed national environmental standards on electricity transmission?

The government is currently also developing two National Environmental Standards on electricity transmission that deal with maintaining and protecting built electricity transmission structures to help ensure the robustness of the national grid.

The policy statement sets out the objectives and policies for electricity transmission. It is a high-level policy framework.

The standards will be regulations which set out specific, detailed requirements.