Definitions of key RMA terms
Below are explanations for some of key terms related to the Resource Management Act.
Anticipated environmental result is an environmental outcome that is expected to occur as a result of implementing the policies and methods specified in a plan.
Assessment of environmental effects is a report that must be given to the council with the resource consent application. It outlines the effects that the proposed activity might have on the environment.
City or district councils are primarily responsible for managing the environmental effects of activities on land.
Department of Conservation primarily manages protected land and species, and has a role advocating for the protection of that land and for the conservation of natural and historic resources generally. The Minister of Conservation has a role under the RMA to prepare, implement and monitor the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement on behalf of the Crown, the approval of regional coastal plans, decisions on restricted coastal activities, vesting of reclaimed land, and a number of other functions in respect of sustainable management of the coastal environment.
Designations are provisions in a district plan which provide notice to the community of an intention by the council or a requiring authority to use land in the future for a particular work or project.
District plans must be prepared by city or district councils to help them carry out their functions under the RMA.
Environment includes
- Ecosystems and their constituent parts, including people and communities; and
- Natural and physical resources; and
- Amenity values; and
- The social, economic, aesthetic and cultural conditions which affect the matters stated in paragraphs (a) to (c) of this definition or which are affected by those matters.
Environment Court is a specialist court where people can go to appeal decisions made by councils on either a policy statement or plan, or on a resource consent application, or to apply for an enforcement order.
Further submission provides an opportunity for people to comment on other people's original submissions on a proposed plan or variation either by supporting or opposing those submissions.
Heritage Orders are provisions in a district plan to protect the heritage characteristics of a particular place.
Issue is an identified environmental problem in which the effects of the use, development or protection of the natural and physical resources are not meeting the purpose of sustainable management under the Act, including past effects or potential future effects.
Method is a specific course of action to implement a policy specified in a plan, and includes rules and other regulatory methods, and non-regulatory actions.
Ministry for the Environment provides advice to the Government on policies, laws, and other means to improve environmental management in New Zealand.
Monitoring is a systematic process of data collection, analysis, interpretation, review, and reporting to inform decision-making about the condition of the environment and performance and progress in environmental management.
National environmental standards are tools used to set nationwide standards for the state of a natural resource. For example, a standard may be introduced that puts a limit on the amount of particulate matter in the air.
National policy statement provides national policy guidance for matters that are considered to be of environmental importance, for example the coastal environment.
Natural and physical resources include land, water, air, soil, minerals, and energy, all forms of plants and animals (whether native to New Zealand or introduced) and all structures.
Objective is an outcome being sought to resolve a significant resource management issue.
Plan change is the process that councils use to prepare changes to an operative plan.
Policy is a general course of action taken by the local authority to achieve an objective.
Private plan change is a plan change initiated by any person to an operative plan.
Provision is any part of the contents of a plan, including issues, objectives, policies, methods, rules, explanatory information, and maps.
Regional councils primarily manage resources like the air, water, soils and the coastal marine area.
Regional plans may be prepared by regional councils to help manage the resources for which they are responsible.
Regional policy statements must be prepared by all regional councils and help to set the direction for the management of all resources across the region.
Resource Management Act 1991 is New Zealand's main piece of environmental legislation and provides a framework for managing the effects of activities on the environment.
Rule is a regulation in a plan to prohibit, control or allow activities to manage the use, development and protection of natural and physical resources in accordance with the purpose of the Act.
Submission outlines the written comments, opinions, concerns, support or opposition about a proposed development or a proposed policy statement or plan.
Sustainable management means managing the use, development and protection of natural and physical resources in a way, or at a rate, which enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic and cultural wellbeing and for their health and safety while -
- Sustaining the potential of natural and physical resources (excluding minerals) to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of future generations; and
- Safeguarding the life-supporting capacity of air, water, soil and ecosystems; and
- Avoiding, remedying or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environment.
Unitary authorities carry out the roles of both regional and district councils.
Variation is a change prepared by a council to a proposed plan.
