After 27 years in paper form, the Resource Management Plan (TRMP) is now online. Check it out here.

Whether at home, in the office, or out in the field, you can now access the plan anytime from anywhere.

The move to publish the TRMP online is a timely recognition of the plan's successful evolution and its mission to respond to environmental challenges and legislative mandates.

Because Tasman is a unitary authority, the TRMP effectively replaces what would elsewhere be multiple separate plans—a district plan and a suite of regional plans—providing a unified framework for resource management and land use planning in the district.

Transformation

Integration of the district and regional plans was a key outcome from the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) which combined and updated the existing County and District Schemes (land use and subdivision), the Regional Coastal Plan (coastal marine area management) and Catchment Board plans into a single integrated document to streamline resource management.

The unified planning framework that emerged from the 1991 RMA reforms has provided the foundation for managing one of New Zealand's most dynamic regional economies, where strategic resource management directly enables sustainable development.

Since its establishment post-1991 RMA enactment, the TRMP has matured into a sophisticated and integrated planning instrument that uniquely combines district and regional governance functions.

Work is now underway that will replace the RMA with two new acts focused on property rights, development, and environmental protection, with legislation expected before the 2026 election.

Beyond the election, the TRMP is likely to remain as the operative planning document for the district for several years, during which a new national system will be developed and implemented.

TRMP Integrated Planning Framework

This infographic illustrates how Tasman's unitary authority status enables a more comprehensive approach to resource management than typical territorial authorities. Unlike separate district and regional plans, the TRMP consolidates these functions into a single integrated framework.

Economic Development

The TRMP is Tasman's roadmap for managing our unique environment and enabler of sustainable economic growth.

Tasman has a GDP of $3.06 billion and, according to recent census data, was one of the fastest growing regions in New Zealand, with a population and dwelling growth of 10.3% and 11% respectively between 2018 and 2023.

Richmond, as an example of our growth dynamics, has a population projected to increase from about 17,400 in 2024 to 23,270 by 2054. This growth reflects a strong recent annual rate of around 3.3%, making Richmond the fastest-growing urban area in the region.

Housing demand is expected to require 1,152 new dwellings between 2024 and 2034, and an additional 2,156 dwellings from 2034 to 2054.

Our regional economic strategy, including the Nelson Tasman Future Development Strategy, which the TRMP supports through land use and infrastructure planning, aims to accommodate significant housing growth and infrastructure investment to sustain this economic expansion.

The TRMP is a strategic approach to sustainable resource management, systematically addressing the district's complex environmental challenges through regular updates that encompass urban development pressures, natural hazard mitigation, freshwater ecosystem protection.

Current updates will include further freshwater protections, landscape conservation, and coastal zone management.

Effective Regional Coordination

Regional councils play a vital role in managing environmental resources, natural hazards, and infrastructure that support community wellbeing and economic growth.

The coordination that unitary councils provide for land and water management, hazard mitigation, and infrastructure resilience results in streamlined and coherent management of land use, water, coastal areas, and environmental protection. All of which supports community wellbeing and economic growth.

The TRMP story fits squarely within this work and proves how regional-scale planning and policy development enable coordinated growth, hazard resilience, and resource protection, aligning local actions with national infrastructure priorities.