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December 2020This report surveyed international frameworks, identified important lessons for outcome-based environmental management, and helps clarify what setting environmental limits and targets will require. Read more -
December 2020This report translates the planetary boundaries framework to show New Zealand’s global environmental connections and quantifies where our country sits in terms of operating within environmentally safe boundaries. Read more -
July 2020This summary outlines the principal reasons which led to the review of the resource management system and the Resource Management Review Panel’s main recommendations in their report. Read more -
July 2020New Directions for Resource Management in New Zealand is a comprehensive review of our resource management system. The review process was an opportunity to design a new system for resource management that delivers better outcomes for our environment, society, economy, and culture. Read more -
April 2020This report highlights patterns and trends in implementation of the Resource Management Act by local authorities from 2014/15 to 2018/19, as recorded by the National Monitoring System. The purpose of the report is to identify areas for improvement in policy or practice. Read more -
September 2019This report prepared by MRCagney informs work on understanding and measuring the wider costs and benefits of urban development under the Urban Growth Agenda. Read more -
August 2019This Beca report presents a review and analysis of the main urban zoning provisions within district plans for selected ‘high-growth’ councils. Read more -
April 2019This report presents the findings of a review of the effectiveness of the National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission and the National Environmental Standard for Electricity Transmission Activities. Read more -
November 2018This report assesses how well we are developing and maintaining the regulatory regimes we are responsible for, including the state of each piece of legislation, any plans for amendments, and our view of important emerging issues. Read more -
June 2018The Ministry for the Environment commissioned Castalia to conduct an economic evaluation of the costs and benefits associated with the introduction of the first set of draft national planning standards. Read more -
March 2018This report sets out our research on tangata whenua provisions in district and regional planning documents and discusses their variation. Read more -
December 2017This research identifies international and domestic trends and best practice for urban growth management strategies and recommends what guidance could be developed for councils to assist them to meet policies PC12, PC13 and PC14 of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity. Read more -
September 2017This report investigates how the structure, format, and presentation of RMA plans impact the ability of lay people to navigate and understand the plan provisions. Read more -
May 2017This report examines how national policy statements on energy and electricity have been implemented and how they could be incorporated into the proposed National Planning Standards. Read more -
May 2017This report assesses metrics (ie, standards and methods of measurement) used in a selection of district and regional plans. Read more -
May 2017This report provides advice on the potential to standardise rules or exclusions for residential activities that could be included in a national planning standard or national environmental standard under the Resource Management Act. Read more -
May 2017This report identifies and analyses relevant non-urban zones and develops zoning framework options. Read more -
May 2017This report examines the use of spatial planning tools across New Zealand and identifies commonalities and differences. Read more -
May 2017This report examines urban zone provisions within district plans throughout New Zealand to better understand the most commonly used provisions and the key differences in the core urban zones. Read more -
May 2017This report reviews the suite of terms and associated definitions contained in 11 regional plans. Read more -
May 2017This report studies five districts (Kaipara, New Plymouth, Taupo, Waimakariri and Clutha) to understand why district councils use ‘effects-based’ plans, and the usability and outcomes of such plans. Read more -
May 2017This report examines differences in structure, format, mapping, and terminology between regional plans. Read more -
May 2017This report reviews the structure of regional policy statements (RPS) developed by councils. Read more -
May 2017This report researches the variation in district and regional plan definitions, and identifies ‘core’ or common terms applicable to district and regional plans to better understand the variation and complexity, and identify where greater efficiencies can be achieved. Read more -
May 2017This document is a summary of preliminary research undertaken by the Ministry over 2013-15 on a number of key planning issues relevant to the creation of national planning standards. Read more -
May 2017This 2013 report identified practice and trends in the structure, format and electronic delivery of RMA plans in New Zealand. Read more -
May 2017This report summarises research on different structure, format and high level content of Regional Policy Statements (RPS) under the Resource Management Act. Read more -
May 2017This report summarises research on the structure, format and the high level content of regional plans (including regional coastal plans) as background for a potential national planning standard on regional planning. Read more -
May 2017This research reports on the different approaches used by Territorial Authorities (Councils) in applying different activity status for resource consents and considers the various logic models used by Councils to evaluate different land uses. Read more -
May 2017This report provides an overview of the types of coastal planning provisions around the country and presents ideas for possible common content in a national planning standard. Read more -
May 2017This report identifies a small group of “atypical” effects-based district and unitary plans and assesses how different these are from other district plans. Read more -
May 2017This research reports on the structure, format and high level content of unitary plans prepared under the Resource Management Act. Read more -
May 2017This paper gives an overview of the new National Planning Standards tool. Read more -
May 2017This paper discusses how the National Planning Standards could provide a more consistent structure for district plans. Read more -
May 2017This paper discusses the inconsistent use of terminology and use of different planning tools and how this affects plan structure overall. Read more -
May 2017This paper signals a preference for a combined structure incorporating the Regional Policy Statement, regional plans and coastal plan into one document. Read more -
May 2017This paper discusses the approaches to the design and format of plans (eg, objectives and policies, rules, font, headings, tables, and colour). Read more -
May 2017This paper investigates cartographic conventions/visual display to harmonise planning maps in regional and district plans. Read more -
May 2017This paper focuses on plan definitions and terms that commonly overlap with regional plans. It outlines the criteria used to narrow the list of terms to be defined and provides options on the formatting of definitions. Read more -
May 2017This paper describes the requirements for transitioning plans from a paper-based format to a fully searchable and interactive online plan. Read more -
May 2017This paper looks at the opportunity to standardise metrics and considers which metrics can be included in the National Planning Standards. Read more -
May 2017This paper considers three key issues relating to a range of general plan provisions like explanations of Resource Management Act 1991 plan hierarchy, Māori values, how activity status applies, and cross-boundary issues. Read more -
May 2017This report assesses the structure and format of regional rules, and how they vary around New Zealand. Read more -
May 2017This report tries to better understand variation and complexity in terms defined in district plans under the Resource Management Act 1991. It undertakes further definitional analysis to help with the development of a set of standardised definitions. Read more -
May 2017This document gives a review of the electronic delivery of planning, and planning systems in five jurisdictions identified by the Ministry for the Environment . Read more -
December 2016This report provides the results of an evaluation of the effectiveness of the National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation (NPS-REG). Read more -
November 2016This document presents the findings of the evaluation of the efficiency, effectiveness and risks associated with the proposed National Environmental Standards for Telecommunication Facilities regulations. Read more -
October 2016A comprehensive draft version of this report informed evidence and monitoring policies in the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity 2016 (NPS-UDC) and the implementation programme. It has assisted in determining which indicators would best provide useful information, and what monitoring would be practical in terms of data availability, frequency, capabilities and costs. Read more -
September 2016Findings of the interim review of the National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil to Protect Human Health and Hazardous Activities and Industries List. Read more -
August 2016This report presents the findings of research into the potential adoption of a bioavailability assessment methodology for soil contaminants in New Zealand. Read more