| New Zealand government consults on power resilience
The policy statement proposes that electricity transmission is ‘recognised as a matter of national significance by decision makers’. It would elevate the status of electricity transmission under the Resource Management Act 1991. The proposed statement would help ensure that benefits of operating and developing the network of pylons, conductors (power wires) and substations across the country are recognised when decisions are being made about the local effects. At the same time, local authorities would continue to have responsibility for ensuring all relevant environmental effects are appropriately considered. The New Zealand government has been looking at options for such national guidance since January 2005. The proposed statement was developed against the background of work done by a reference group made up of central and local government officials, Electricity Commission, Transpower, Federated Farmers and Business NZ representatives. A Board of Inquiry has been established to consider public views on the proposed policy statement. The Board expects to call for public submissions before the end of May 2007. It will then arrange a series of public hearings and will report to the Minister with its recommendations for developing a final national policy statement. As a separate exercise, national environmental standards (NES) are being developed for managing the electricity transmission network in a nationally consistent way. Currently, local authorities vary in the way they manage transmission infrastructure and NES will provide for greater consistency. http://www.mfe.govt.nz/rma/central/transmission/index.html
•Date: 3rd May 2007 • Region: New Zealand •Type: Article •Topic: Power management
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