Mon, 18 Oct 2004
'Making Good Decisions' The Training Assessment and Certification Programme for RMA Decision Makers.
This is about improving the game for all parties involved in the resource consent and plan making processes, Environment
Minister Marian Hobbs said at the programme launch in Wellington.
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I am very pleased to launch 'Making Good Decisions', a programme for RMA decision makers.
This programme will build on the excellent work that is already being done by councillors and independent commissioners
in making decisions under the Resource Management Act.
Importance of hearing commissioners We all know that the role of councillors in hearings is a demanding one. It
involves: · a thorough understanding of RMA statutory requirements, · an understanding of the roles of
decision maker and officer; · the ability to test evidence; and importantly · knowledge of how to run fair and
effective hearings
Councillors and independent commissioners have to make difficult decisions that have significant impacts on their local
communities.
Hence, the reason we are here today to launch the programme 'Making Good Decisions'. It's a programme that will provide
guidance to all councillors and independent commissioners in this challenging and important role. The programme will
also serve to strengthen the important work that they do and will go some way towards ironing out uneven and
inconsistent standards and practices.
Improving consent processes and improving the RMA Of course, the 'Making Good Decisions' programme does not stand in
isolation. There is one important link underlying the work we are doing in this area. This programme, as well as a
wealth of other programmes, all share the same aim: Improving the implementation of the RMA.
For example, the proposed changes coming out of the RMA review will strengthen further the 'Making Good Decisions'
programme by phasing in mandatory certification for the chairs and the majority of commissioners sitting on hearings'
panels. Local decision making will also be further enhanced by making hearings more inquisitorial, placing more emphasis
on the importance of the council hearings' process, and giving councils the ability to strike out vexatious or frivolous
submissions. We want the Environment Court to have more regard to council decisions in making its own decisions, and
avoid the needless repetition of evidence. This means that we have to be sure that robust decisions are made at the
Council level. We want the best outcome, not just the outcome with the best argument.
In addition to this, the 'Making Good Decisions' programme builds on already available guidance on improving council
resource consent processes. As you know, the Quality Planning website and the new 'Consent Processing Resource' provide
useful and comprehensive, practical guidance for people involved in resource consent processing.
This is good. We would like all parts of the puzzle to fit together with the super strong glue that is the 'Making Good
Decisions' scheme.
This is about improving the game for all parties involved in the resource consent and plan making processes.
Strength of the programme If we look at how things used to be, advice to councillors focused on training. This
programme takes training one step further and ensures that training leads to improved knowledge. Each participant's
understanding will therefore be assessed, and a certificate issued to those who achieve the specified level of
competency.
This programme also recognises that even though all decisions are final, learning how to make good decisions is not. The
course content and delivery of the programme will be updated to reflect changes in practice, new case law and
legislative changes. This has been anticipated through update workshops and re-assessment of the competency of all
'certified' participants.
Importance of local government The true value of this programme is that it reinforces - rather than undermines - the
critical role that local authorities play in environmental decision-making. Both the government and I want to see the
importance of decision-making lifted at the local level.
Local authorities together with their communities set their plan policy, manage the consents process and ultimately make
decisions that affect their environment.
This scheme provides local government with the tools and skills they need to make environmental decision-making even
better.
Concluding Comments This launch marks the opening of registrations for the 'Making Good Decisions' programme. This
programme represents the culmination of 2 years of hard work and is a milestone worthy of celebrating. I would like to
thank each member of the Advisory Board and the staff at the Ministry for all their work in getting to this point. Last
but not least, I would like to congratulate Auckland University and the team of experts they have assembled, in
successfully winning the licence to deliver this very important programme, and I wish them well for the future.
Thank-you.
I encourage people to register for this programme.
ENDS