Regional Policy Statement decisions released

Decisions on the Southland Regional Policy Statement (RPS) are being released tomorrow (Saturday 6 June).

The RPS was originally notified in May 2012 and has been a long and complex process, but senior planner Kylie Galbraith said the extended timeframe has allowed changes to be made as case law and National Policy Statements have been released.

The RPS is the region’s most significant planning tool. It provides a high-level overview of the significant resource management issues facing Southland and sets the direction for all local authorities. It doesn’t contain any rules, but does set up a framework for regional and district plans. It contains objectives, policies and methods to address the issues and includes measures to indicate whether the objectives have been achieved.

Once the RPS decisions are released, submitters who are unhappy with the decisions may lodge an appeal with the Environment Court within 30 working days, but only on points that they submitted on.

Ms Galbraith said before the RPS can be made operative, all appeals have to be resolved and the biodiversity chapter must go through the same process.

The biodiversity chapter was reviewed separately and had a variation released last month for public consultation. The variation was necessary due to the nature of the changes being proposed to the Biodiversity chapter in response to recent developments in case law, matters raised in submissions and further submissions, and the need to provide submitters the opportunity to comment and submit on those changes.

“Once all appeals are resolved on the RPS and biodiversity chapter the document will then be made operative and replace the 1997 version,” said Ms Galbraith.

Copies of the RPS decisions are available on our website www.es.govt.nz and hard copies are available for public viewing at libraries and council offices throughout the region.

ENDS

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