Government confirms local government reform direction. Regional services stay local, with governance stability through to 2028 for Canterbury.
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Setting the regulatory frameworks
Last updated: 13 May 2026
Reporting frequency: Quarterly
Core service: Environmental Regulation and Protection
Regional plans incorporate the aspirations of mana whenua and the communities of Waitaha Canterbury and reflect national direction, and set out requirements for resource users. They promote sustainable management of natural resources and contribute to the outcomes detailed in our Long-Term Plan. This service includes work to review resource consents.
Key plans are:
- Our integrated regulatory planning framework for Canterbury (in development) under the Resource Management Act 1991 and incorporating the Regional Policy Statement (RPS), Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP), Regional Coastal Environment Plan (RCEP) and Canterbury Air Regional Plan (CARP).
- Canterbury Biodiversity Strategy, with a revised plan adopted in September 2025.
- Canterbury Regional Pest Management Plan, with a review underway.
How are we tracking on our service measures?
Service measure 1: Notify Regional Policy Statement and targeted amendments to Land and Water Regional Plan
Notify and then make operative the Regional Policy Statement (RPS) and targeted amendments to Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP), and undertake a review of the Regional Coastal Environment Plan (RCEP), as part of developing an integrated planning framework
Target: Notify RPS and targeted amendments to the LWRP
How are we doing: Ability to achieve removed by legislation
Ability to achieve removed by legislation
More information
In August 2025 new legislation was enacted that paused councils’ work on review and change of their RMA plans until 31 December 2027. Service measure 1 is to notify the Regional Policy Statement (RPS) and targeted amendments to the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan (Plan Change 8 (PC8)). Given the change to legislation it is now not within our power to achieve this measure.
This legislation contains provisions for applying to the Minister for an exemption. Parts of the proposed Plan Change 8 meet the exemption criteria and at the 10 December Council meeting, Council agreed to apply to the Minister for an exemption for Parts A (Take and use of water) and B (Wetland construction). In early April 2026, the Minister granted an exemption to notify. This means that the Council will have the option to adopt and publicly notify PC8.
The planning team continued to undertake work required under the current regime and foundational work to prepare Council for the change to the planning regime signalled by central government, including preparatory work for a Regional Spatial Plan. This included ongoing engagement with Territorial Authorities to begin scoping work for the Regional Spatial Plan in preparation for the new plan to be in place 18 months after the new legislation is enacted. Work is also continuing on planning investigations into how Regional Council functions for resource management in the freshwater, biodiversity, land, water, coastal and air domains can be delivered under the new resource management legislation.
The Canterbury Biodiversity Strategy is part of the regulatory framework. It does not have a service measure. At the 17 September Council meeting, the Te Rautaki Rerenga Rauropi o Waitaha | Waitaha Canterbury Biodiversity Strategy 2025 was adopted, replacing the Canterbury Biodiversity Strategy 2008. It has been prepared by the regional council in partnership with mana whenua, local councils and in collaboration with stakeholders and will guide our work on indigenous biodiversity.
The Council is undertaking a review of the Canterbury Regional Pest Management Plan 2018–2038 (RPMP) to ensure it continues to provide an effective, efficient, and up-to-date regulatory framework for managing pests in Canterbury.
Public consultation on the proposed Plan is anticipated in late 2027, with adoption of the updated Plan targeted for mid to late 2028.
Find out more about developing an integrated regional planning framework, the Canterbury Biodiversity Strategy, and the Canterbury Regional Pest Management Plan.