Resource Management Plans

Central Government is replacing the Resource Management Act 1991 with two new acts:

• The Planning Act: This Act will focus on land-use planning and regulation to enable urban development and infrastructure growth, including housing and renewable energy projects. It will align with the government's plans for housing growth and national infrastructure.
• The Natural Environment Act: This Act will focus on the use, protection, and enhancement of the natural environment, including land, air, freshwater, and coastal and marine water. It will establish a clear framework for setting environmental limits to protect natural resources.

The legislation is expected to be introduced to Parliament in late 2025 and passed into law in mid-2026. The public will have an opportunity to provide feedback during the select committee process.

Whilst this is being implemented no new Council initiated Plan Changes into the RMA plans will occur unless approved by the Minister.

For more information on the RM Reforms visit MfE - Changes to resource management.

Learn more about ePlan (including tips and a feedback form).

The table below sets out all the Plan Changes (PC), Private Plan Changes (PPR) and Amendments to the Resource Management Plans (RMP), which include the Regional Policy Statement (RPS), Nelson Resource Management Plan (NRMP) and Nelson Air Quality Plan (NAQP). Further explanation about the different Plan Changes can be found here.

Amendments to the RMPs must include the relevant section and clause of the Resource Management Act. Below is a list of the sections and clauses and what they mean:

• Cl.16 - Amendment of a proposed policy statement or plan
• Cl.20A - Correction of an operative policy statement or plan
• Notice of Requirement (Designations) - Section 181 (Alteration of a designation) and Section 182 (Removal of a designation)
• Section 44A - National Environmental Standards incorporated into a plan
• Section 55(2A) - National Policy Statements incorporated into a plan.

Click on the title of each plan change or amendment for further details.

The operative Nelson Regional Policy Statement and Nelson Resource Management Plan were developed in the 1990s, and the Nelson Air Quality Plan became operative in 2008. While these plans have been subject to some changes, they have not undergone a full review. In 2013, the council resolved to embark on a full review to produce the Second Generation Plan the Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan, an entirely new plan, with a new format, new zones, objectives, and policies, and many changes to the rules.

The Nelson Plan was drafted between 2013 and 2021 and was anticipated to be publicly notified for public submission in early 2022. Nelson City Council decided to pause of its work on the Plan primarily due to the risk that anticipated Resource Management reforms and new legislation at the time would require significant changes to resource management plans in local government.

An efficiency and effectiveness review was undertaken as part of the Whakamahere Whakatū Nelson Plan process. The efficiency and effectiveness review and Council reports are available to download:

• Efficiency and Effectiveness review.
• Report to Council.

This is the main legislation that sets out how we should manage our environment. It's based on the idea of the sustainable management of our resources, and it encourages us (as communities and as individuals) to plan for the future of our environment.

More information on the RMA can be found in the Ministry for the Environment publication 'Understanding the RMA and how to get involved'.

Resource Management Plans are a requirement under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), the Quality Planning site provides detailed information regarding Planning under the RMA.

These are developed by Central Government and Council resource management policy statements and plans are required to give effect to them. There are a range of National Policy Statements currently in place, the Ministry for the Environment website provides further detail on these.

These have the force of a regulation and apply irrespective of provisions contained in the Nelson Resource Management Plans (although in some cases rules in the NRMP may be more stringent). There are a variety of National Environmental Standards currently in place, the Ministry for the Environment website provides further detail on these.

Te Tauihu iwi participation in resource management

Treaty settlements

In 2014, the eight iwi of Te Tauihu settled claims with the Crown for breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. Treaty settlements aim to address historic breaches through a formal apology, a range of acknowledgments, and the transfer of Crown-owned land to claimants. The iwi authorities that reached settlements are:

• Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust;
• Ngāti Koata Iwi Trust;
• Ngāti Kuia Iwi Trust;
• Ngāti Rārua Iwi Trust;
• Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust;
• Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui Trust;
• Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau; and
• Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Toa Rangatira.

For more detailed information on settlements, you can visit the New Zealand Government's Office of Treaty Settlement website, where you can search for individual iwi and access Deeds of Settlement and other related documents.

Statutory Acknowledgements

As part of the Treaty settlements, a Statutory Acknowledgment is provided for each iwi, recognising their specific cultural, spiritual, historical and traditional connections to certain sites and areas. This type of redress supports iwi ability to engage effectively in Resource Management Act (RMA) processes. Each Statutory Acknowledgment includes a “Statement of Association”, which outlines particular cultural, spiritual, historical, and traditional association of an iwi with identified areas, further enhancing their participation and influence in environmental and resource management decisions.

Statutory Acknowledgments are to be read as attachments to RMA Plans. Read more about the Te Tau Ihu Statutory Acknowledgements here.

Alternatively, see the statutory acknowledgement document attached to Nelson City Council’s Resource Management Plan and GIS maps showing their location.

Iwi Map Boundaries

Find out more about our iwi and their rohe boundaries on the Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development) website.

Iwi Management Plans

Iwi Management Plans are lodged by iwi authorities with the Council under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). Once submitted, these plans become key documents that Council must consider when preparing or amending RMA Plans, such as the Regional Policy Statement, Air Quality Plan or Nelson Resource Management Plan.

Under the RMA, councils are required to take into account any relevant planning documents recognised by iwi authorities when preparing or updating policy statements or plans.

These plans capture iwi worldviews and their aspirations for the sustainable management of natural resources, offering elected members and staff valuable insights into iwi priorities and concerns. By incorporating iwi management plans into Nelson City Council’s policy framework, the Council affirms its commitment to its partnership with local iwi and ensures compliance with statutory regulations.

The following Iwi Management Plans have been lodged with Council:

To assist owners of properties located within heritage precincts and the Inner City, Council has developed a series of design guides to ensure developments occur within a manner sympathetic to their environment. The guides give a visual description of the precinct and provide ways of adapting and building properties in those areas.

The heritage precinct and Inner City design guides were updated in August of 2023.

• Nelson Inner City Design Guide
• Heritage Precinct Design Guide - Alton St
• Heritage Precinct Design Guide - Dear Cottages
• Heritage Precinct Design Guide - Elliott St
• Heritage Precinct Design Guide - Fountain Pl
• Heritage Precinct Design Guide - Russell St
• Heritage Precinct Design Guide - Seymour Ave
• Heritage Precinct Design Guide - South St

Nelson, like much of New Zealand, is susceptible to a range of natural hazards. These hazards include earthquakes (causing fault rupture, shaking and liquefaction), river and coastal floods, coastal erosion and slope instability. Natural hazards pose a risk when they affect people, property, and the environment.

For further information, visit the Natural Hazards pages.

The Council is working on matters relating to Port Noise. See here for further details.