Tasman District Council welcomes the Minister for Resource Management Act (RMA) Reform’s decision to direct Plan Change 81 and Change 1 to the Tasman Regional Policy Statement (TRPS) into the Streamlined Planning Process. 

The decision recognises the importance of Tasman’s future growth and the district’s contribution to New Zealand’s housing supply, business land needs, and broader economic wellbeing. It also acknowledges the urgency of providing more developable land to support a growing community. 

The proposed plan change is intended to enable approximately 4,250 new homes and 80 additional hectares of business land. The Minister’s decision confirms that the proposal meets the tests for urgency, significant community need, and alignment with national urban growth priorities. 

The Streamlined Planning Process provides a structured and time-bound pathway for progressing the plan change. It includes further consultation, technical updates, public notification, submissions, further submissions, hearing, and decision-making by an independent panel. 

The Minister’s direction also makes clear that natural hazards, climate change risk, highly productive land, and the impacts of the proposed urban design provisions must be carefully assessed. The council will continue to work through these requirements as it prepares the plan for public notification.

Today the Minister’s decision was formally published in the New Zealand Gazette which will be followed by public notification of the call for submissions to Plan Change 81 and Change 1 to the TRPS.

The notification date and timing of a series of meet the planner’s community events, webinars and links to documentation including ‘how to make a submission’ resources will be announced within the next four weeks. 

Tasman District Council looks forward to progressing this important work and continuing engagement with the community and iwi partners as the process moves ahead.

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