Operative Waikato Regional Policy Statement (October 2000)

2 Resource Management Processes

2.2 Integrated Management

2.2.1 Integrated Management

The Regional Policy Statement is required by s59 of the RMA to provide the policies and methods to achieve integrated management of the natural and physical resources of the Region.

Natural and physical resources and the environment consist of interconnected ecosystems and flows of energy and matter. Changes to one part of one system will cause some change to the other systems. These changes may not be apparent nor occur immediately or at the same place. The effects may be cumulative i.e. building on past effects, to reach a ‘threshold’ before change occurs.

Because of the interconnected nature of biophysical systems, resource management needs to recognise the wider effects of use, development and protection of resources. This can only be achieved by taking an holistic approach to resource management which recognises the effects of the use, development and protection on all natural resources (land, water, air, soil, minerals, energy, plants and animals), on physical resources such as buildings and other structures and on people and communities.

This holistic approach is made more complex because of the different agencies with resource management responsibilities in the Region. Agencies need to ensure internal consistency in their actions. Integrating management activities within and between different agencies is necessary to meet sustainable management objectives. A definition of integrated management is included in the glossary.

Summary of Significant Resource Management Issue

The following is a summary of the significant resource management issue that has been identified for integrated management:

Ad hoc decision making has the potential to prevent integrated management of natural and physical resources

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