News & Resources

The Healthy Home Standards and Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2020 are now law.

2020 certainly isn’t the year we thought it would be and the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 (the Act) definitely wasn’t on the Government’s legislative agenda back in January. The Act was passed under urgency and is part of the government’s economic response to Covid-19, promoting development as a way to stimulate the economy. 

September is Wills month – designed to draw Kiwis’ attention to making sure their legacy is in order.

The brand new National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPSFM20) came into force on 3 September 2020, replacing the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014 (NPSFM14). The new statement forms part of the Government’s overhaul of the freshwater planning framework and introduces a slew of changes to the way regional councils are required to manage freshwater resources in the future.

The Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Regulations 2020 (“the NES:F”) came into effect on 3 September 2020 as part of the Government’s wider “Action for Healthy Waterways” package (which also includes the new Freshwater Planning Process contained in the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020, the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and Stock Exclusion Regulations).  This article provides a short summary of the provisions in the NES:F.

The RMAA came into force on 1 July 2020 and introduces some significant changes, particularly for the freshwater planning process. 

2020 has seen significant changes for the resource management framework in New Zealand, with more substantial changes on the horizon.

On 18 August 2020, Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced additional funding for a targeted extension of the Wage Subsidy Scheme.

The COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-Track Consenting) Bill aims to bypass the Resource Management Act 1991 in order to speed up the consenting process for projects.

On 14 May 2020 the Finance Minister announced additional funding of up to $3.2 billion for a targeted extension of the Wage Subsidy Scheme.

The proposed COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Bill throws more light on what the fast-track consenting process will look like.  Central and local government projects look to be the major beneficiary of the proposal, with other projects needing to be selected against eligibility criteria in order to qualify.

The Ministry of Justice has released new guidance for parenting arrangements while NZ is at Alert Level 3.