Sustainable Direction for Resource Management an Assessment of the Regional Council Role

The 1980s has seen an increased world awareness of the concept of sustainability. In 1991 New Zealand enacted the Resource Management Act (RMA) which reflected society's concern for a need to consider future generations when making decisions relating to the use of natural resources. Regional councils have been allocated the role within the Act to promote sustainable management at the regional level. The short term challenge to regional councils is to manage resources in manner which strikes a pragmatic balance between the ongoing needs of society and the need to provide resources for future generations. Regional councils will know they have been effective in the long term if natural resource users move towards an increased acceptance of the concepts of ecological sustainability. Sustainable management of the land resource can be promoted by regional councils through a number of techniques, primarily through regulation, education, monitoring and information brokerage.