The Resource Management Law Association makes annual awards in the field of resource management.

The focus of the awards is to:

(a)       Award excellence in resource management documents including National Standards, Policy Statements, section 32 analyses , District or Regional plans or other such documents, , prepared by or on behalf of government or local authorities in fulfilment of their duties under the Resource Management Act 1991 or other significant documentary contributions such as books and journals;

(b)       Recognise outstanding contributions by individuals; and

(c)       Award projects that have made a significant contribution to the development of best practice and the implementation of the RMA’s purpose and principles.

The Documentation, Project and Regional award decisions are delegated to an RMLA Awards Sub-Committee of the National Committee. 

With respect to the Outstanding Person Award, the Awards Committee shall name recommendations, narrowing the nominations down to a shortlist of two (maximum three), with an accompanying report.  The decision on the Outstanding Person award shall then be made by the full National Committee, and the decision of the Committee is final. 

Any RMLA member (excluding National Committee members) may submit nominations in writing, for an award.

Any nomination for any team award must identify in submitted documentation any current National Committee members that are team members (or are in the same firm, company or related entity as any team member).

If a National Committee member is a member of any team (or related to any firm, company or related entity nominated for a team award) they shall not participate in or be present at any discussion of or voting on that category of award.

There is no formal nomination process.  Simply send a copy of the nominated document/project with a covering note to:

The Closing Date for the Awards is Friday, 3 August 2012.

Awards Criteria : Documentation

The Award

The RMLA occasionally makes awards to publications which make a significant contribution to the development of the law, theory or practice of resource management.

Guideline

This award of the Association shall be made at the discretion of the National Committee.  The nominees for awards should be appropriately qualified or recognised professionals within their field.  The majority of the team is expected to be RMLA members.

Criteria

The overall criteria shall be that the document has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the law, theory and practice of resource management.

If a Policy Statement, National Standard, Plan or document is submitted for evaluation in accordance with the criteria for this award, the following are examples of the considerations taken into account:

1. Has the plan or document complied with the requirements of the Act for its class of document (eg sections 59 to 76 of Act)?
2. Has the plan covered all matters required in Second Schedule Parts I or II?
3. Evidence of section 32 analysis.
4. Does the plan have a flow through issues, objectives, policies, methods and reasons to results?
5. Is the Document or Plan appropriately interlinked in a transparent way?
6. Have the issues, objectives, standards and/or policies been expressed clearly and stated appropriately?
7. Does the plan or individual parts of it have an overall justification in terms of section 32 and the RMA?
8. Is there consistency with other RMA documents?
9. Does the plan demonstrate fairness between activities (i.e. effects - based)?
10. Is there clarity in activity status (e.g., permitted activities do not have any reserved discretion; controlled activities have standards and terms and elements of control identified)?
11. Has the Document or Plan applied best current knowledge or practice for various effects, and does it have any innovative techniques of merit?

• Form
• Clear expression, plain English
• Consistent use of terminology
• Logical pattern
• Ease of finding all policies, objectives, rules for one activity
• Typeface, size, leading, layout
• Maps and diagrams of clarity

Unsuccessful candidates will have their documentation returned if requested in a covering letter.  Reasons are not required to be given to any unsuccessful nominees.

The winner of each Award (if any) will be announced at the RMLA Conference dinner.

Awards Criteria : Projects

The Award

The RMLA occasionally makes awards to projects which make a significant contribution to the development of best practice and the implementation of the RMA’s purpose and principles.

Guideline

This award of the Association shall be made at the discretion of the National Committee.  The nominees for awards should be appropriately qualified or recognised professionals within their field.  The majority of the team is expected to be RMLA members.

Criteria

The overall criteria for all projects shall be that the project has made a significant contribution to the advancement of best practice and the implementation of the RMA’s purpose and principles.

In relation to projects the following criteria may be relevant:

1. Has the project complied with all relevant provisions of the Act?
2. Has the supporting documentation complied with all the requisite information requirements of the Act including the fourth schedule?
3. Has the project demonstrated appropriate consultation practice both with iwi and the community?
4. Does the project demonstrate fairness between activities?
5. Have all relevant mitigation mechanisms been applied?
6. Does the supporting documentation pass the clarity and presentation tests listed in the Awards Criteria Documentation list not otherwise set out here?
7. Does the project apply best current knowledge or practice for various effects?
8. Does it employ innovative techniques and methods of merit?

Unsuccessful candidates will have their documentation returned if requested in a covering letter.  Reasons are not required to be given to any unsuccessful nominees.

The winner of each Award (if any) will be announced at the RMLA Conference dinner.

Awards Criteria : Outstanding Person

Background

The RMLA has an annual awards process in which awards are made for outstanding contributions to the law, theory and practice of resource management.  Applicable to all awards, the recipient shall be presented with an appropriate award/plaque and a certificate at the RMLA National Conference.

Guideline

The RMLA personal award is to be made for outstanding contributions only.  For this reason it is not necessary to make an award each year.  The Outstanding Person Award is required to include the following extent of details:

1. A cover letter, signed by the nominator.
2. An Official Award Nomination form.
3. The nominee's CV or biographical information.
4. Two or three letters of recommendation from RMLA members.

Criteria

1. It is desirable that the person should be nationally recognised for their activities and contribution.
2. The award is not for long service but is for a contribution that results in further development and understanding of the law, theory and best practice in resource management.
3. The contribution could be made to a person within any one or more of the relevant sectors, including government, the judiciary, industry, private practice or the general public.
4. An Outstanding Person nominee must be an RMLA member.
5. Meritorious nominees for the Outstanding Person award not selected in a given year may be held over for consideration by the Committee for the next year, but not held over for any further years. The names of these nominations will be conveyed to the next years Awards Committee.
6. Only one person should receive the Outstanding Person award in any year and a recipient may receive the honour only once.
7. Any nominee for the Outstanding Person award should not have been a member of the National Committee at any time within 2 years of the date of the nomination.
8. The successful candidate will be advised a minimum of two weeks prior to conference and is expected to be in attendance at the Annual Conference dinner, where the awards are presented.

Applicable to all awards, the recipient shall be presented with an appropriate award/plaque and a certificate at the RMLA National Conference.

Awards Criteria : The Principal Judge John Bollard Lifetime Commemorative Award

The Award

This is an award presented to an individual to recognise their outstanding services to the RMLA profession over the course of the individual’s lifetime career.  This is an award that would only be expected to be given out to exceptional individuals and on occasion, rather than in any particular year.  It would be expected there would be many years it would not be awarded.

Guideline

The Lifetime Commemorative Award is to be made for outstanding lifetime contributions only.  For this reason the award will not be made each year.

The Award is required to include the following extent of details:

1. A cover letter, signed by the nominator.
2. An Official Award Nomination form.
3. The nominee's CV or biographical information.
4. At least three letters of recommendation from current RMLA members.

Criteria

1. The person should be nationally and internationally recognised for their expertise in, and contribution, to the theory and practice of resource management in New Zealand over a prolonged period (in most cases, the recipient’s lifetime career).
2. The person may still be practising or may be retired but generally if the latter the award would be made within 2 years of the retirement rather than many years after retirement.
3. The person may have been a recipient of the Outstanding Person Award, although this is not a prerequisite.
4. The award could be made to a person within any one or more of the relevant sectors, including government, the judiciary, industry, private practice or the general public.
5. Meritorious nominees for this award not selected in a given year may be held over for consideration by the Committee for the next year, but not held over for any further years. The names of these nominations will be conveyed to the next years Awards Committee.
6. Only one person may receive this award in any year and a recipient may receive the honour only once.
7. Any nominee for this award should not have been a member of the National Committee at any time within 2 years of the date of the nomination.
8. The successful candidate will be advised a minimum of two weeks prior to conference and is expected to be in attendance at the Annual Conference dinner, where the awards are presented.

Applicable to all awards, the recipient shall be presented with an appropriate award/plaque and a certificate at the RMLA National Conference dinner.

Awards Criteria : The RMLA Regional Award

The Award

A RMLA Regional Committee can nominate a person within their region to give recognition to individuals who have contributed significantly to a Regional Committee’s RMLA work in any particular year.

Guideline

These nominations would be forwarded to the National Committee and 1-2 overall regional awards could be given in a particular year at the National Committee discretion.

Criteria

Similar restrictions apply such that where persons are on the Regional Committee and National Committee, they cannot be nominated themselves, or nominate others, until two years after they have sat on the relevant committee.

The successful candidate will be advised a minimum of two weeks prior to conference and is expected to be in attendance at the Annual Conference dinner, where the awards are presented.