The Government has today released draft Terms of Reference for
the Resource Management Review Panel (Panel). The
Terms of Reference are available to download here.
The Panel, which is to be chaired by Hon Tony Randerson QC, will
be an expert advisory group tasked with undertaking a review of the
resource management system, with a focus on the Resource Management
Act 1991 (RMA). Individuals with skills across a
range of relevant areas such as planning, local government and te
ao Māori will be appointed to the Panel. It is understood that
appointments to the Panel will be made by Cabinet.
The draft Terms of Reference state that the aim of the review is
to improve environmental outcomes and enable better and timely
urban development within environmental limits. The review will
focus primarily on the RMA itself, and is to prioritise setting the
high level framework for an improved resource management system. It
appears that more detailed policy, process and transitional
