National policy statements
National policy statements are instruments available under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) to help local government decide how competing national benefits and local costs should be balanced.
National policy statements now in place
These national policy statements are in place:
- electricity transmission
- renewable electricity generation
- NZ coastal policy statement (led by the Department of Conservation)
- freshwater management
Work has also been done on:
- Scope of an NPS on Urban Design
- A proposed NPS on Indigenous Biodiversity
NPS guidance for councils
Guidance for councils implementing national policy statements:
How an NPS is developed
The development of a national policy statement will usually take place in four stages: scoping, drafting, consultation and implementation. In most cases reference groups will be set up with representatives from key agencies. Reporting back to ministers occurs after scoping has been completed and before formal consultation.
Any minister can gain approval to scope a new topic for a national policy statement. However, the Minister for the Environment will provide an overview and advisory role when another minister leads the initial scoping stage.
Managing the range of topics (given their sometimes overlapping nature) and the impact on local government’s capabilities to implement national policy statements and national environmental standards is a critical aspect of the work programme.
If you would like to find out more about the work programme for national policy statements, please email info@mfe.govt.nz.
Last updated: 28 January 2011
