Infrastructure NZ has welcomed the release of consultation on the first National Policy Statement (NPS) for Infrastructure as a strengthening of guidance for local government on integrating consent and planning processes.
Nick Leggett, Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive, said the NPS would support more co-ordinated decision making across tiers of government and help ensure that infrastructure development is more effectively considered in council planning.
“It will provide essential direction for integrating infrastructure considerations into land use planning and environmental management, which is critical to making sure that development at a local level aligns with our objectives as a country,” Leggett said.
“This provides a level of nationwide consistency for those looking to invest and help develop our future nation-building infrastructure. It will then be up to central and local government to work together to implement these new national rules which support priorities that include delivering our growing infrastructure pipeline and the much-anticipated regional deals.”
Infrastructure New Zealand particularly welcomed changes to make consenting for new or expanding existing quarries easier and faster.
“Quarried aggregates are essential components in our roads and many other infrastructure constructions,” said Leggett.
“The current delays and limited local access to these materials are adding significant costs to our communities.”
He said that the new NPS for Natural Hazards was also a much-needed addition to New Zealand’s consenting and planning system.
“Extreme weather events and other climate-related natural hazards are increasing in intensity and frequency, and along with Aotearoa’s significant seismic risks, pose a major threat to the infrastructure we rely on,” said Leggett.
“New Zealand is ranked by Lloyd’s of London as second only to Bangladesh in terms of natural disaster-related economic losses, and yet our response in terms of consenting and development planning has been left almost entirely to councils and is therefore piecemeal and inconsistent.”
“How different local government entities identify and manage risks associated with climate change, weather events and seismic activity can make a major difference to infrastructure planning and delivery. This NPS is therefore an important step towards standardising how those risks are identified and assessed, and providing a more predictable framework for future infrastructure development.”
