Editing Resource Management Act 1991 (section)

{{Short description|1991 New Zealand law promoting sustainable management of natural and physical resources}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{infobox legislation
| short_title = Resource Management Act 1991
| legislature = [[New Zealand Parliament]]
| image = Coat of arms of New Zealand.svg
| imagesize = 180px
| long_title = An Act to restate and reform the law relating to the use of land, air, and water.
| introduced_by = [[Simon Upton]]
| administered_by =
| passed = 22 July 1991
| royal_assent = 22 July 1991
| date_commenced = 1 October 1991
| amended_by = 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
| related_legislation = Crown Minerals Act 1991
| repeals =
| status = Current
}}
The '''Resource Management Act''' ('''RMA''') passed in 1991 in [[New Zealand]] is a significant, and at times, controversial [[act of parliament|Act]] of [[Parliament of New Zealand|Parliament]]. The RMA promotes the [[#Definition of sustainable management|sustainable management]] of natural and physical resources such as land, air and water. New Zealand's [[Ministry for the Environment (New Zealand)|Ministry for the Environment]] describes the RMA as New Zealand's principal legislation for environmental management.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.mfe.govt.nz/rma/index.html/ 
|title=Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) 
|author= MfE
|author-link=Ministry for the Environment (New Zealand)
|publisher=Ministry for the Environment
|year=2010
|access-date=14 September 2011}}</ref>

The RMA and the decisions made under it by district and regional councils and in courts affect both individuals and businesses in large numbers, and often in very tangible ways.  The Act has variously been attacked for being ineffective in managing adverse environmental effects, or overly time-consuming and expensive and concerned with bureaucratic restrictions on legitimate economic activities.<ref>{{cite web 
|first=Eric 
|last=Pawson 
|title=Economy and the environment – Page 4 – Regulating economy and environment 
|website=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
|date= 26 November 2010
|access-date= 19 April 2012
|url= http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/economy-and-the-environment/4 
|quote=The resource management process was criticised by developers as time-consuming and expensive, and by environmentalists as giving too much encouragement to developers.}}</ref>

The [[Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand|Sixth Labour Government]] replaced the RMA with two separate acts: the [[Natural and Built Environment Act 2023]] (NBA), and the [[Spatial Planning Act 2023]] (SPA);<ref name="NBE">{{cite web |title=Natural and Built Environment Bill |url=https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_129831/natural-and-built-environment-bill |publisher=[[New Zealand Parliament]] |access-date=21 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307103143/https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_129831/natural-and-built-environment-bill|archive-date=7 March 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="SPA">{{cite web |title=Spatial Planning Bill |url=https://bills.parliament.nz/v/6/5e622cec-50a3-427b-be27-6282d64e6c71?Tab=history|publisher=[[New Zealand Parliament]] |access-date=21 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221020045/https://bills.parliament.nz/v/6/5e622cec-50a3-427b-be27-6282d64e6c71?Tab=history|archive-date=21 December 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>  and planned to add the Climate Change Adaptation Bill (CAA).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morton |first1=Jamie |title=Government confirms it will scrap Resource Management Act, create three new acts |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/government-confirms-it-will-scrap-resource-management-act-create-three-new-acts/AGC55DLIT2DITCZOBPQBU5JGZI/ |access-date=11 February 2021 |agency=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=11 February 2021}}</ref> Following the [[2023 New Zealand general election]], the [[Sixth National Government of New Zealand|National-led coalition government]] repealed Labour's NBA and SPA legislation. It also promised to reform the RMA and eventually replace it with new resource management laws.<ref name="Beehive repeal">{{cite web |last1=Bishop |first1=Chris |title=NBA and SPA successfully repealed |url=https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/nba-and-spa-successfully-repealed |website=Beehive.govt.nz |publisher=[[New Zealand Government]] |access-date=21 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220093404/https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/nba-and-spa-successfully-repealed |archive-date=20 December 2023 |date=20 December 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>