ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how Tasman District Council went about preparing its resource management policies and plans as a unitary authority with regional and district functions. It reveals unrealistic political expectations in plan-making, along with blatant political populism. The Tasman District is located at the top of the South Island. As in any rural district, but perhaps more so in those with high heritage values, development and environment are destined to clash when environmental planning for the future occurs. The political committees and technical departments mirrored one another, these being environment and planning, engineering services, community services, and corporate services. While amalgamation resulted in some loss of regional staff, the internal organization of the council as a unitary authority remained relatively stable throughout the 1990s. Given the statutory requirement to consult iwi, council complied with respect to the Tasman Regional Policy Statement, regional plans, and the Tasman Resource Management Plan pushed by proactive iwi.
