Notice of National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards 2025

Dame ALCYION CYNTHIA KIRO,
Governor-General

Order in Council

At Wellington this 15th day of December 2025

Present:

in Council

Pursuant to section 52(2) of the Resource Management Act 1991, Her Excellency the Governor-General, acting on the advice and with the consent of the Executive Council and on the recommendation of the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform acting for the Minister for the Environment (having satisfied the requirements of that Act), approves the National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards 2025.

Part 1: Preliminary Provisions

1.1 Title

(1) This is the National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards 2025.

1.2 Commencement

(1) This National Policy Statement comes into force on 15 January 2026.

(2) See Part 4 for timeframes for giving effect to this National Policy Statement.

1.3 Application

(1) This National Policy Statement applies to the following natural hazards:

flooding;
landslips;
coastal erosion;
coastal inundation;
active faults;
liquefaction; and
tsunami.

(2) This National Policy Statement applies to all activities managed under the Act, except for infrastructure (as defined in the Act) and primary production (as defined in the National Planning Standards).

(3) This National Policy Statement applies to all environments and all zones, including coastal environments. Where there is conflict between the provisions of this National Policy Statement and the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010, the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010 prevails.

(4) This National Policy Statement does not preclude decision-makers from managing natural hazard risk beyond the application of this National Policy Statement, including risks from other natural hazards and activities not otherwise covered, or from applying a more conservative approach to managing the natural hazard risks covered by this National Policy Statement.

(5) This National Policy Statement does not override any existing use rights that may apply under section 10 of the Act.

1.4 Interpretation

(1) In this National Policy Statement:

Act means the Resource Management Act 1991.

commencement date means the date on which this National Policy Statement comes into force, as identified in clause 1.2.

decision-maker means any person exercising functions or powers under the Act.

high natural hazard risk means natural hazard risk assessed as ‘high’ using the risk matrix.

medium natural hazard risk means natural hazard risk assessed as ‘medium’ using the risk matrix.

risk matrix means the risk matrix, including likelihood and consequence tables, in appendix 1.

significant natural hazard risk means natural hazard risk assessed as ‘medium’, ‘high’ and ‘very high’ using the risk matrix.

very high natural hazard risk means natural hazard risk assessed as ‘very high’ using the risk matrix.

(2) Terms defined in the Act and used in this National Policy Statement have the meanings in the Act, except as otherwise specified.

(3) Terms defined in the National Planning Standards issued under section 58E of the Act and used in this National Policy Statement have the meanings in the Standards, unless otherwise specified.

1.5 Incorporation by Reference

(1) Clause 2(1) of Schedule 1AA of the Act does not apply to any material incorporated by reference in this National Policy Statement.

Part 2: Objective and policies

2.1 Objective

(1) Natural hazard risk to people and property associated with subdivision use and development is managed using a risk-based proportionate approach.

2.2 Policies

Policy 1: When considering natural hazard risk associated with subdivision, use or development, the risk level must be assessed using the risk matrix.

Policy 2: Natural hazard risk associated with subdivision, use and development must be managed using an approach that is proportionate to the level of natural hazard risk.

Policy 3: Where subdivision, use or development is assessed as having very high natural hazard risk, that risk must be avoided.

Policy 4: Where subdivision, use or development, including any associated mitigation measures, will create or increase significant natural hazard risk on other sites, that risk must be avoided or mitigated using an approach that is proportionate to the level of natural hazard risk.

Policy 5: Natural hazard risk assessment and decisions must be based on the best available information and must be made even when that information is uncertain or incomplete.

Policy 6: The potential impacts of climate change to at least 100 years into the future must be considered.

Part 3: Implementation

3.1 Overview of Part 3

(1) This Part sets out a non-exhaustive list of things that must be done to implement or give effect to the objective and policies of this National Policy Statement. Nothing in this Part limits the general obligation under the Act to give effect to that objective and those policies.

3.2 Risk-based Assessment

(1) Natural hazard risk associated with subdivision, use or development must be assessed using:

the likelihood of a natural hazard event occurring, in accordance with table 1, appendix 1; and
the consequence of a natural hazard event for life and property, in accordance with table 2, appendix 1;

to determine whether the level of natural hazard risk is low, medium, high or very high, in accordance with the risk matrix.

(2) When assessing natural hazard risk, decision-makers must consider:

existing and proposed mitigation measures; and
residual risk that arises when design thresholds of any existing and proposed mitigation measures are exceeded.

3.3 Proportionate Management of Natural Hazard Risk

(1) Decision-makers must consider the scale and detail of information necessary to assess the risk by having regard to the anticipated level of risk.

(2) When managing natural hazard risk associated with subdivision, use and development, decision-makers must apply mitigation measures, including location and design, for the purposes of ensuring that:

very high natural hazard risk is avoided;
high or medium natural hazard risk is avoided or mitigated proportionate to the level of risk; and
any creation of, or increase in, significant natural hazard risk on other sites is avoided or mitigated proportionate to the level of natural hazard risk.

(3) When applying the proportionate approach required by 2(b) and 2(c), decision-makers must take into account the cost effectiveness of mitigation measures relative to the level of anticipated risk.

3.4 Best Available Information

(1) When undertaking risk assessments and making decisions for the purposes of managing natural hazard risk, decision-makers must use the best information available at the time of making the assessment or decision.

(2) When information is uncertain or incomplete, decision-makers must continue to undertake risk assessments and make decisions using the best available information and not delay making decisions solely because of uncertainty about the quality or quantity of the information available.

Part 4: Timing

(1) Decision-makers must give effect to this National Policy Statement on and from the commencement date, except as provided for in (2).

(2) Local authorities are not required to initiate changes to regional policy statements, regional plans or district plans within a specific timeframe for the sole purpose of giving effect to this National Policy Statement.

Appendix 1: Risk Matrix, Likelihood and Consequence Tables

When undertaking an assessment of natural hazard risk, the following risk matrix and associated tables must be applied to enable assessment of the consequence level and likelihood level and to determine the level of natural hazard risk applicable.

Figure 1: Risk Matrix

Risk Matrix

Note: The top end of the likelihood range includes the top end year, that is: Likely = over 20 years and up to and including 50 years.

Table 1: Likelihood Table

Likelihood Level	Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP)	Average Recurrence Interval (ARI) or ‘Return Period’
Almost certain	10% or more	Up to and including 10 years
Very likely	10% to 5%	Over 10 and up to and including 20 years
Likely	5% to 2%	Over 20 and up to and including 50 years
Possible	2% to 1%	Over 50 and up to and including 100 years
Unlikely	1% to 0.2%	Over 100 and up to and including 500 years
Rare	0.2% to 0.02%	Over 500 and up to and including 5,000 years
Very rare	Less than 0.02%	More than 5,000 years

Table 2: Consequence Table

Consequence Level	Damage to Property	Potential for Injury or Fatalities
Catastrophic	Severe damage to land and building(s), potential for collapse or total destruction of structures. Building(s) need to be demolished, rebuilt or relocated.	High threat to life safety, with probable fatalities and/or critical injuries.
Major	Major damage to land and building(s), including structural damage. Loss of use and substantial repair required.	Unsafe for people, with potential for many injuries, or critical injuries and/or fatalities.
Moderate	Some damage to land and non-structural damage to building(s). Limited loss of use, repairs required.	Unsafe for people, with potential for injuries, although expected to be minor.
Minor	Minor damage to land and building(s). No loss of use, minimal repairs required.	Isolated minor injuries possible.
Negligible	No loss of use, no building repairs required.	No injuries.

Dated at Wellington this 15th day of December 2025.

Hon CHRIS BISHOP, for the Minister for the Environment.

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