Monitoring and Reporting One-Stop-Shop
This part of the Quality Planning website is intended as a 'one-stop-shop ' for information on environmental monitoring and reporting under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA) and other relevant legislation. While the guidance notes focus on monitoring and reporting responsibilities under the Resource Management Act, the principles and approaches discussed can also be applied more broadly.
Guidance notes |
Supporting information |
It is important to have a strategic and integrated approach to monitoring and to make the wider connections with the other information requirements of councils. This is stressed throughout each of the guidance notes which make up the Monitoring and Reporting One-Stop-Shop.
There are a number of examples that support each guidance note. Many of these examples contain lists of indicators that have been developed to monitor and report on various aspects of the environment.
Monitoring and reporting guidance notes
Getting started
This guidance note provides introductory advice on how to approach monitoring. It discusses the benefits of monitoring, the monitoring process and monitoring requirements. It also provides information on the benefits of adopting an integrated (or coordinated) approach to monitoring and of developing a monitoring strategy.
Guidance notes have also been prepared to address the following specific Resource Management Act monitoring requirements:
State of the environment monitoring
State of the environment monitoring and reporting provides councils and communities with access to information on the condition of the environment, and the key pressures on it. State of the environment monitoring can provide an early warning of environmental problems and possible solutions. It informs decision-makers by indicating where high level environmental outcomes and results can be improved or have been successful.
Policy and plan effectiveness monitoring
Policy and plan effectiveness monitoring helps determine whether the regional policy statement, or the regional or district plan is effective as a means of achieving its objectives and anticipated outcomes. This type of monitoring can signal the need for future action and provides information on possible improvements to policy and plan content and implementation.
Resource consent, compliance and complaints monitoring
Monitoring resource consents, compliance and complaints indicates performance in relation to a number of issues - it highlights areas that may require further action by council staff and provides feedback on policies, regulations and processes in plans (including plan implementation and process), as well as some limited information on the state of the environment.
Delegations and transfers monitoring
This guidance note provides some initial advice on the monitoring of delegated functions and transfers of power. The purpose of this type of monitoring, although in its infancy in New Zealand, is to ensure any functions delegated or transferred by a local authority are being effectively carried out and are achieving the anticipated environmental results. There is a link to a table of delegations that may be held by council staff.
Monitoring the exercise of recognised customary activities by regional councils is provided for under section 35(2)(e) of the Resource Management Act and the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004. Material in the guidance notes on the other aspects of monitoring is also relevant to this requirement. General information about Resource Management Act processes regarding customary rights orders and recognised customary activities can be found on the Ministry for the Environment website. At February 2008 there were no recognised customary activities.
Guidance notes have also been developed on the following aspects of the monitoring process:
Monitoring tools, indicators and data management
The usefulness of monitoring depends on the quality and consistency of the information collected, as well as its suitability for analysis. This guidance note provides advice on how to approach the collection and management of monitoring information.
Review and reporting
The purpose of monitoring is to provide information to feed into the development and review of policies, strategies and actions. The way in which monitoring is to be used needs to be considered early to ensure monitoring is appropriate for its purpose. Effective communication of messages from monitoring results is also important.
Supporting information has also been provided on:
Monitoring forums
In New Zealand, there are a number of monitoring forums and partnerships that have developed in response to the need for an integrated and strategic approach to monitoring assessment and reporting across organisations. These forums and partnerships provide access to information, sharing of ideas on emerging good practice, and integration within regions. This can save valuable resources, such as time and money.
Environmental monitoring report links
This section provides links to examples of local authorities ' environmental monitoring reports. Environmental monitoring reports are defined in this section as reports providing state, pressure or response information about the environment as a whole (comprehensive report) or part (theme report).
Other monitoring examples
A number of other monitoring reports and outputs are relevant and useful for Resource Management Act and Local Government Act monitoring and reporting, including:
- sustainability monitoring and reporting initiatives
- environmental health
- quality of life
- urban amenity and information on the triple bottom line.
Acknowledgements
The Monitoring and Reporting One-Stop-Shop was prepared by Karen Bell of Enviro Solutions New Zealand Limited and Leigh Robcke from the Ministry for the Environment. A team of practitioners from around the country reviewed the material and the input of the following people is gratefully acknowledged: Michael Bathgate (Dunedin City Council), Gary Bedford (Taranaki Regional Council), James Corbett (Manukau City Council), Kerry Grundy (Whangarei District Council), Beat Huser (Environment Waikato), Jane Kitson (Environment Southland), Steve Markham (Tasman District Council), Paula Rolfe (Matamata Piako District Council). The input and comments of the following people from the Ministry for the Environment is also gratefully acknowledged: Craig Mallett, Rosalind Day, Lesley Woudberg and Calum Revfem.
Karen and Leigh would also like to acknowledge the feedback provided from the QP Editorial Panel: Jan Crawford, Robert Schofield and Helen Atkins.
The material was updated in April 2007 by Sandra McIntyre of Schema and Warren Adler of Adlers Consulting Limited. The updated material was reviewed by Michael Bathgate (Dunedin City Council), Gray Severinsen (Taranaki Regional Council), Urlwyn Trebilco (Environment Waikato) and Steve Markham (Tasman District Council). The input and comments of Amanda Moran from the Ministry for the Environment and the Editorial Panel (Jan Crawford and Robert Schofield) are gratefully acknowledged.
