NPS - Infrastructure 2025
The National Policy Statement for Infrastructure sets out the objectives and policies for infrastructure under the Resource Management Act 1991.
Go to the published NPS-I legislation on the Ministry for the Environment website
Why is the NPS-I needed
Infrastructure is essential for supporting the wellbeing, health, and safety of communities. Historically, the strategic importance of infrastructure has not been fully recognised in resource management decisions, leading to inconsistent outcomes, delays, and increased costs. The NPS-I addresses these issues by:
- recognising infrastructure as an interconnected network serving the public good
- providing clear national direction for development, maintenance, and upgrades
- supporting consistent, coordinated planning and resilience to climate change.
What does the NPS I cover
The NPS-I requires decision-makers to recognise infrastructure as nationally significant under the RMA and provides national direction to support its development, maintenance and upgrades while still addressing adverse impacts. The NPS-I applies to all decisions under the RMA affecting the operation, maintenance, renewal, and upgrade of existing infrastructure, as well as new infrastructure development.
Exclusions:
- Renewable electricity generation (covered by the National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation).
- Electricity transmission and distribution networks (covered by the National Policy Statement for Electricity Networks).
- Freshwater allocation and prioritisation (addressed by regional councils).
The NPS-I aligns with other national policy statements (e.g., NPS for Electricity Networks, and NPS for Renewable Electricity Generation) but does not override protections for values of national importance under the RMA.
All current National Policy Statements are available on the Ministry for the Environment website.
Go to the current National Policy Statements on Ministry for the Environment website
