About Quality Planning

What is Quality Planning all about?

The purpose of the Quality Planning website is to promote best practice by sharing knowledge about all aspects of practice under the Resource Management Act (RMA).

Who is the QP website for?

This website is for council practitioners and consultants, environmental managers and others involved in resource management practice under the RMA.

What's in it for you?

Keep up with the play - key RMA planning issues highlighted through the QP News webpage and upcoming training listed on the What's On webpage.

• Access a growing number of best practice guidance notes and examples which tackle key planning process issues and topics. These are linked to our library of publications and journal articles.
• Access a comprehensive library of publications, journal articles and research reports on the RMA and planning.
• Keep up-to-date with conferences and training opportunities.

Why the Quality Planning project?

We seem to hear a lot of concerns about the RMA. Developers and the business community continually express concerns about costs and delays incurred as a result of the RMA's processes. By contrast, community and environment groups often want more public involvement in the process and even stronger protection for the environment.

Criticism has also been aimed at the way councils have implemented the RMA in district and regional plans and the variety of approaches being taken to environmental issues. There have been calls for more standardised approaches and even model Plans.

Another problem faced by local authorities is the length of time taken to prepare plans and process resource consents, combined with high rates of staff turnover. Many councils are losing their experience even as it is being gained.

There is clearly room for something to be done. This website aims to build a shared set of knowledge which can be used by all practitioners.

Who looks after the website?

The Quality Planning Project is a partnership between the New Zealand Planning Institute, the Resource Management Law Association, Local Government New Zealand, the NZ Institute of Surveyors and the Ministry for the Environment. A Steering Group manages it and an editorial panel of practitioners will also keep an eye on website content.

The Ministry for the Environment currently owns and administers the website. The project is funded by the Ministry for the Environment.

Who is the Editorial Panel?

The Steering Group appointed an editorial panel of practitioners to look at the initial guidance notes going on to the website. The panel works with the Ministry for the Environment to ensure that the guidance material put on the site is of high a standard and reflects a practitioner's perspective.

The panel is not vetting all content on the site; for example, they will not be approving publications and articles being added to the database of publications. The panel and the Steering Group will however be kept informed about all new material being added to the site.