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Practitioner training and development

The Ministry for the Environment provides training for resource management practitioners to:

improve the quality and consistency of decisions, advice and actions where the involvement of RMA practitioners is concerned
further build capacity in RMA-oriented professions, by providing practitioners with the resources, skills, knowledge, confidence and support to effectively undertake these roles
improve the confidence of applicants, submitters and communities with respect to practitioner involvement in processes under the RMA.

Information on training programmes, including those that are now complete, is set out below. The PowerPoint presentations and handbooks used at the training workshops are available for some of the completed training events.

For more information on practitioner training, including if you would like a completed training course to run again, email rmainfo@mfe.govt.nz

For training and development opportunities from other organisations please see Quality Planning What’s On.

Upcoming training events

Date	Training event	Location
30 and 31 October 2008	RMA Administrator/ Planning Technician training	Wellington

Training programmes

Air Pollution Control Training
These two-day training workshops were held in Dunedin and Hamilton in July and August 2007 with over 50 participants. The workshops are a joint initiative with the Otago Regional Council, Northland Regional Council, and the Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand (CASANZ).

Effective use of iwi management plans
The Ministry for the Environment in conjunction with the Ngatiwai Trust Board and the New Zealand Planning Institute, will run three one-day implementation workshops on 24, 25, and 26 June 2008 in Orewa, Kaikohe and Whangarei, respectively.

These workshops are open to all resource management practitioners and anyone interested in the implementation of iwi management plans.

Registration form

Workshops were recently held in Queenstown and Invercargill in April 2008 to support the implementation of the recently launched Te Tangi a Tauira – The Cry of the People - Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku Natural Resource and Environmental Management Plan 2008. Around 60 participants attended the workshops.

Enforcement Manual Training
Nine workshops were held nationwide in 2006/07 in partnership with the Resource Management Law Association and Tauranga City Council, with over 300 participants. These workshops supported the updated Quality Planning RMA Enforcement Manual.

Historic Heritage
Ten workshops were held nationwide in February/March and July 2007 in partnership with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust and the New Zealand Planning Institute, with over 300 participants.

These workshops look at the scope of heritage management under the RMA and the range of approaches used.

These workshops supported the Quality Planning Historic Heritage Guidance Note.

Making Good Decisions
The Making Good Decisions Programme helps councillors, community board members, and independent commissioners make better decisions under the Resource Management Act (RMA).

The next rounds of training under the Making Good Decisions Programme will be held in December 2007 (following the local body elections), and again in February/March 2008 to cater for newly elected councillors and others seeking certification. For specific dates, refer to the table above. For information on registering, see the details of the Making Good Decisions training.

RMA Monitoring and Reporting
Four workshops were held in Christchurch, Palmerton North and Auckland (2) in September and November 2006, in partnership with the New Zealand Planning Institute. The workshops were attended by over 120 participants.

These workshops supported the Quality Planning Monitoring and Reporting One-Stop-Shop.

Plan Structure and Provision Writing
The Plan Structure and Provision Writing training notes are available from the discussion at this workshop held in November 2005.

RMA Administrator/Planning Technician training
This two-day training course is aimed at ensuring good practice and process awareness, refreshing the skills of experienced planning technicians, as well as providing opportunities for those new to such roles.

RMA Hearing Administrator training
This two-day training course covers everything you need to know about the role of administrators in RMA hearings. The course is run in association with the Society of Local Government Managers (SOLGM).

Structure Planning
Eleven workshops were held nationwide in April, May and October 2006, in partnership with the New Zealand Planning Institute, Beca Planning and Boffa Miskell Ltd. The workshops were attended by over 450 participants.

These workshops supported the Quality Planning Structure Planning Guidance Note.

Urban Design Continuing Professional Development
The Urban Design Continuing Professional Development programme aims to develop a shared understanding of urban design principles, tools and techniques among professionals from all sectors involved in the design, management or implementation of the built environment in New Zealand.

For more information, see the New Zealand Planning Institute webpage.