The best way to become familiar with the RMA and related legislation is to go directly to the MfE web page.

You can download publications from this website or request hard copies by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone (04) 9177493.

To access material on good practice and to join in debate on current practice go to http://www.qualityplanning.org.nz.

This site, "Quality Planning — the environmental planning resource site" is run by the MfE and includes discussion forums (which are lively) and updates new publications and sources to your mailbox on request. As its name suggests, most participants are planners rather than resource managers and the publications increasingly promote planning rather than resource management. However, participation is the way to restore some balance.

The McShane "Think Piece One" is also downloadable from the RMA Commentaries listed on this site under "Hot Topics". Take your time. The site is worth thorough exploring.

Resource Management Amendment Act – 2005

The “Benson Pope” Amendments are now in force – subject to a number of transitional provisions. The Centre is pleased to note that many changes to the original Bill have been made through the Select Committee process and many of these changes reflect the submissions made by the Centre. Of course, we cannot claim sole credit because we do not know what other submissions were made and by whom. However, we do know that our written and aural submissions were the major reason for the removal of the requirement for Regional Council to manage “urban form”. The major changes, and the ones which will attract most comment and reporting, relate to major infrastructure projects, and the preparation of national standards and policy statements. The Centre will leave those commentaries to the major law firms. However, most of the Centre’s direct dealings are with individuals, or small businesses or owners of small landholdings. They have been subject to many abuses of power because of lack of legislative clarity regarding processes at the early stages of the simplest of applications. The Amendment makes some excellent changes which restore the balance of power in favour of these small scale applications, especially where the decision to notify or serve notice can cause the applicants to abandon their plans. These changes, which should make life easier for small players, relate to:

• Consultation with Iwi.
• Effects on parties who have given approval.
• Serving notice and notification.