RMLA Insights welcomes informed professional perspectives on issues affecting resource management practice. This article presents an alternative analytical view on how benefits may be assessed under the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024. It is published to support discussion and does not represent formal RMLA policy.

The Conservation Amendment Bill introduced on 7 May 2026 contains a significant change to the purpose architecture of the Conservation Act 1987 – it proposes a new function for the Department of Conservation to “recognise the economic opportunities that arise from the use and development” of the land and resources it manages, and to “enable this use and development to the greatest extent practicable under this Act and other enactments”.

In this paper, the author examines the economic assessment relevant to the Fast Track Approvals Act 2024 (FTAA 2024). They consider the purpose and scope of the Act, the matters to be addressed, and the structure of the decision process. From that base, they consider assessment methods which are appropriate to meet the requirements of the Act for economic analysis, and support decision-making on fast track proposals.

How well do the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill deal with climate change? In this new member article, Kierra Parker and Charlie Williams examine the current drafting, recent case law, and the risks created by leaving climate change mitigation outside the core of the new framework.