Insight Good standards need good data: exploring the PCE’s review of the LUC system In December 2025, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) published a detailed review of the Land Use Capability (LUC) system and how it is used across a range of regulatory instruments. The headline finding is that the LUC system has real limitations that make it a poor fit for the regulatory work it is increasingly being asked to do. However, the report's implications reach well beyond the LUC system itself and are worth paying attention to as New Zealand's resource management framework is reshaped. Read more
Insight The road to reform: Environment Select Committee releases its reports on the Natural and Built Environment Bill and Spatial Planning Bill On June 27, the Environment Committee reported on the NBE Bill and Spatial Planning Bill, aiming to reform NZ's environmental law. Here are five key takeaways. Read more