Earthworks can generate a variety of adverse effects on land, air and water bodies, with the significance of these effects varying depending on their scale and the environment within which they occur.
Regional councils and territorial authorities are jointly responsible for managing the effects of earthworks under the Resource Management Act (RMA).
To help practitioners understand the effects of earthworks and to better equip them to manage these effects, this guidance note aims to:
- outline the issues and effects arising from earthworks
- clarify the functions of regional councils and territorial authorities in managing earthworks, including managing the potential overlap of jurisdictional responsibilities
- identify methods to manage the effects of earthworks.
