The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council acknowledges two new key pieces of resource management reform legislation – the Natural and Built Environment Act (NBEA) and the Spatial Planning Act - in force from today.

Regional Council Policy and Regulation Group Manager Katrina Brunton says the new Acts require genuine partnership with Te Tiriti partners. “We’ll be connecting with iwi/hāpu in different and new ways, and we’re working that out together,” she said.

These laws have been designed by central Government to one day work in tandem with a Climate Change Adaptation Act, and together the three Acts are intended to eventually replace the Resource Management Act (RMA).

A handful of specific provisions are already live as of today, including aspects related to consents, freshwater planning, contaminated land, aquaculture, and bolstered compliance and enforcement powers and tools.

The RMA is still operational for the next 7 to 10 years. The transition will involve integrating parts of the new Act while still relying on established RMA procedures.

“There is a lot to work through to operationalise the legislation and we are working with the Government and other councils to ensure this transition benefits our local communities and the environment,” said Mrs Brunton.

All consents granted and decisions made under the RMA haven’t expired and remain in place.

The Regional Council will continue to receive and process applications for resource consent, certificates of compliance and existing use certificates under the RMA, until the RMA is switched off and the NBEA is turned on.

As the environmental agency for Hawke’s Bay, the Regional Council is charged with the integrated management of land, air, and water resources, supporting biodiversity and biosecurity, providing for regional transport services, and building more resilient communities in the face of climate change and natural hazards.

For more information, go to the Ministry for the Environment’s website: https://environment.govt.nz/

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