Southland Regional Policy Statement to become operative

At today’s council meeting councillors approved the proposed Southland Regional Policy Statement (SRPS) becoming operative on 9 October 2017.

The approval is a milestone, following a lengthy statutory process that began in 2012. Chairman Nicol Horrell congratulated staff and the commissioners for all their hard work. He said the hearing panel worked at keeping the SRPS at a high level, leaving the detail for the council-level plans.

“Staff have done a good job keeping the integrity of the decisions while successfully mediating all the appeals, avoiding the Environment Court and saving on costs and delays.”

The SRPS guides all resource management decisions for the region. It is Southland’s most significant planning tool; an overarching document that provides direction to regional plans and district plans for all the councils.

ENDS

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