Environmental management under the RMA is mainly achieved through the statement of overall goals in the Act itself (which have been described above), the establishment of a hierarchy of policy statements and plans, the granting of resource consents and the provision of mechanisms for monitoring and enforcement.
Statement of overall goals
The purpose of the RMA is 'to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources'. This is the prime goal of all decision-making carried out under the Act. A number of national environmental priorities are also specified in the Act to guide decision-making including ecological and cultural considerations (see principles of the RMA ).
Hierarchy of plans
The Act provides for a hierarchy of policy statements and plans. At a national level, national environmental standards and national policy statements can be prepared. The Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 has increased the significance of national environmental standards in the context of this hierarchy. At a regional level, regional policy statements (which are compulsory) and regional plans (which are optional, with the exception of a regional coastal plan) can be prepared. District plans must be prepared at a territorial authority level.
District plans are generally required to be 'not inconsistent' with regional plans, district and regional plans are required to 'give effect to' regional policy statements, and all these documents are in turn required to 'give effect to' national policy statements (see Figure 1). This helps to promote consistency and integration.
Resource consents
The RMA groups activities into six categories: permitted, controlled, restricted discretionary, discretionary, non-complying and prohibited. Rules in regional and district plans determine which category an activity will fall into. Resource consents are required for controlled, restricted discretionary, discretionary and non-complying activities. Resource consents may not be granted for prohibited activities. Each resource consent application must include an assessment of effects of the proposal on the environment. When considering applications for resource consents, the focus is on evaluating the 'actual and potential effects on the environment of allowing the activity'.
Enforcement
The RMA provides for a range of enforcement mechanisms which may be utilised by local authorities and other parties. These include declarations and enforcement orders made by the Environment Court and abatement notices issued by enforcement officers authorised by local authorities. The Act also provides for consent authorities to monitor the effects of activities on the environment for which resource consent has been granted and, where appropriate, requires enforcement action to be taken (section 35(2)(d)).
