Regional Spatial Plans
with various clients | ACROSS THE MOTU
New legislation is here:
The RMA is being replaced by a new hierarchy of planning documents.
First cab off the rank for councils will be a new instrument that every region/ new amalgamation of councils must produce — the Regional Spatial Plan (RSP).
What makes a good RSP? A good spatial plan is not just a bunch of maps, it clearly sets out what to protect and where to target infrastructure investment and development, in enough detail that councils, iwi and communities can plan with certainty.
Need a hand with your spatial planning?
Councils must jointly prepare their RSPs via a spatial planning committee, supported by a secretariat. For most, that's going to be dense, collaborative work driven by central government's timeline, not yours.
We've worked our way through two attempts at replacing the RMA already, and know what happens when you don’t have enough skilled hands on deck.
Are you:
A regional or unitary council needing more capacity to do the ground work and prepare the plan?
A territorial authority needing assistance to make sure the co-production of the RSP is reflecting the right balance for your council and community?
A secretariat needing independent facilitation to resolve differences and find that strategic alignment?
An infrastructure provider or stakeholderwanting to make sure that your priorities are reflected in the first generation RSPs?
We can help with that:
We can slot into any stage of the spatial planning process and help you navigate:
Inventory: what do you actually have?
Most regions' existing spatial data is fragmented, district-specific and full of gaps. We compile the stocktake, find what's missing, and give you a clear base to build from.
Ecological expertise: what are the high-level conservation values?
We can provide support from two nationally-recognised ecologists to provide expertise to create or refine robust spatial data on conservation values.
Engagement with iwi partners and stakeholders: how is the community included in the process?
With broad and deep experience in the tensions in providing for Māori values in the NZ planning system, we can support your council to engage effectively and collaboratively with mana whenua groups and the wider community, negotiate difficult conversations, manage expectations and facilitate a process where everyone is heard and feels their contribution to the outcome.
Strategy: the plan itself.
We put together the spatial layers and the accompanying written strategy: growth areas, infrastructure corridors, what to protect, where opportunities lie. We use language that is technical enough to survive scrutiny, but plain enough that your communities can actually read it.
Rigorous, diligent and defensible work.
We bring the rigour to withstand hearings and challenge, because a plan that hits trouble later costs a region far more than getting it right the first time.
Meet your planners:
Greg Carlyon — TCG’s founder, is a well-respected policy and planning specialist with 30+ years’ experience leading council responses to significant resource management issues. An outside of the box thinker, Greg has a knack for strategically resolving complex matters with vision, inspiration, and respect. Greg is also a trained facilitator and has panel chair endorsement.
Mike Scott— TCG’s Principal Planner, has over 10 years of experience in plan development and innovation. Mike’s areas of expertise include the New Zealand regulatory framework, planning for iwi and hapū interests, urban development and transport projects. Mike is also an independent hearing commissioner.
Need planning expertise on-call for a specific task?