Regional Policy Statement
The Regional Policy Statement provides a framework for sustainably managing the region's natural and physical resources.
It highlights regionally significant issues with our land, air, fresh and coastal water, infrastructure and biodiversity, including issues of significance to iwi. It sets out what needs to be achieved (objectives) and how it will be achieved (policies and methods).
It does not contain rules; instead it sets out how regional, city and district councils need to manage these resources. It is a directive policy document in relation to regional and district plans and the consideration of resource consents.
Why this policy is important
- It's a statutory policy document that provides an overview of the region's significant resource management issues.
- It must be given effect to by the region's city and district councils when developing their district plans.
- It sets out policies and methods for managing the region's significant resource management issues.
Downloads
- Contents and Part One (Introduction)
- Part Two (Issues and objectives)
- Part Three (Policies and methods)
- Part Four (Monitoring the RPS)
- Part Five (Principal reasons)
- Appendix A (Definitions)
- Appendix B (High quality urban design principles)
- Appendix C (Indicative growth area timing and business land provision)
- Appendix D (Indicative growth area sequencing)
- Appendix E (Management and growth areas for the western BOP)
- Appendix F (Criteria for assessing matters of national importance)
- Appendix G (Criteria applicable to Policy MN 7B)
- Appendix H (Portions of Rotorua Lake Catchment within the Waikato Region)
- Appendix I (Coastal environment and natural character maps)
- Appendix J (Natural character attributes)
- Appendix K (The Natural Hazards Risk Management Policy Framework)
- Appendix L (Methodology for risk assessment)
- Appendix M (Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Measures)
Changes to the RPS
| Change | Overview | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Change 1 (Coastal Policy) | To give full effect to the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010 (NZCPS). | Incorporated into the RPS and operative from 3 June 2015. |
| Change 2 (Natural Hazards) | To insert provisions to guide regional, city and district plans and resource consent applications in managing land use and associated activities according to their level of natural hazard risk. | Incorporated into the RPS and operative from 5 July 2016. |
| Change 3 (Rangitāiki River) | To recognise and provide for the vision, objectives and desired outcomes of the Rangitaiki River Document 'Te Ara Whanui o Rangitaiki' - 'Pathways of the Rangitaiki'. | Incorporated into the RPS and operative from 9 October 2018. |
| Change 4 (Tauriko West Urban Limit) | To amend the current Urban Limit and indicative timing of growth in the Regional Policy Statement to provide for the urban development of Tauriko West. | Incorporated into the RPS and operative from 30 October 2018. |
| Update 1 Targets for Housing Development Capacity | To include targets for housing development capacity for the western Bay of Plenty sub-region in accordance with the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity 2016 (NPS-UDC). | Policy UG 25B incorporated into the RPS and operative from 14 December 2018. |
| Change 5 (Kaituna River) | To recognise and provide for the vision, objectives and desired outcomes of The Kaituna River Document ‘Kaituna he taonga tuku iho – A treasure handed down’. | Incorporated into the RPS and operative from 1 August 2023. |
| Proposed Change 6 (NPS-UD) | To implement the responsive planning requirements of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020. | Proposed Change 6 publicly notified 9 August 2022 and submissions closed on 6 September 2022. The Summary of Decisions Requested was notified on 24 January 2023 and the further submission period closed on 10 February 2023. Hearings were held on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 June 2023. Regional Council adopted the Hearing Panel’s recommendations and the decisions were notified on 12 February 2024. Four appeals were received and mediation is currently underway. |
| Update to housing bottom lines – Rotorua and western Bay of Plenty sub-region | To include short-medium term and long-term housing bottom lines set for Rotorua and the western Bay of Plenty sub-region urban environments in line with the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (NPS-UD). | Policy UG 25B updated in the RPS and operative from 2 March 2022. |
| Proposed Change 8 (NPS-HPL) | To implement the highly productive land mapping requirements of the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land 2022 (NPS-HPL). | The NPS-HPL requires all highly productive land in the region to be mapped in the RPS and notified no later than 17 October 2025. The RPS mapping of highly productive land must be done in collaboration with the region’s territorial authorities and in consultation with tangata whenua. Consultation is underway and any interested persons are encouraged to go to the link for more information. |
User Guide for Appendix F Criteria
A User Guide providing guidance on the appropriate use and understanding of the criteria in Appendix F Sets 1-7 is available.
User Guide to the Natural Hazards Provisions and Appendix L
This guide provides context to understanding the way the natural hazard provisions are constructed and the key concepts for natural hazards management. It also provides guidance assistance to users on how to apply the default methodology contained within Appendix L. (Note: The first table in section 4.3 of the user guide also provides a list of alternative, recognised risk assessment methodologies.)
- View the Natural Hazards User Guide here.
Note: Pages 7-8 are A3 sized fold-outs. When printing select "choose paper source by PDF page size" or email info@boprc.govt.nz to order a printed copy.
RPS Implementation Strategy
An RPS Implementation Strategy (RPSIS) has been developed to provide for the systematic implementation of all operative policies and methods during its 10 - 15 year lifetime. The RPSIS recognises for the operative RPS to be effective, it requires consistent implementation and monitoring of its policy and method requirements.
- Check out the RPS Implementation Strategy (RPSIS).
Statutory acknowledgements
The Ngā Whakaaetanga-ā-Ture ki Te Taiao ā Toi (Statutory Acknowledgements in the Bay of Plenty) is a compendium document to be read as an attachment to, and in conjunction with, the Operative Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement including proposed regional plan or policy statement, and any variation or change notified by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
- Read more about statutory acknowledgements.
Treaty co-governance
A new and separate Treaty Co-Governance Compendium contains Treaty Co-Governance documents to provide context for the RPS.
The Treaty Co-Governance Compendium is to be read as an attachment to, and in conjunction with, the Operative Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement including proposed regional plan or policy statement, and any variation or change notified by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
Iwi perceptions survey
As part of monitoring the implementation of the regional Policy Statement Iwi Resource Management provisions, Council has carried out two iwi perceptions surveys in 2016 and 2018.
The results of the second biennial iwi perceptions survey under the Regional Policy Statement are now available. Komiti Māori approved making the results publicly available on Council’s website at their 22 August 2018 hui.
- Read or download the report.
Want to contact us about the RPS?
Contact Nassah Steed on 0800 884 880.
Write to: Regional Policy Statement, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, PO Box 364, Whakatāne 3158.