National policy statements are prepared by the New Zealand Government as outlined in the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), an Act of Parliament to promote the sustainable management of New Zealand's natural and physical resources.
National policy statements are covered by sections 45 to 55 of the RMA.[1]
Lack of national policy statements has often been given as one of the drawbacks of the ability of the RMA to afford protection of the environment.
As of July 2024, eight national policy statements are in force: