These regulations, which come into force on 15 January 2026, amend the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Regulations 2020 (the principal regulations).

The principal regulations provide that a consent authority may grant a resource consent for certain discretionary activities that have the purpose of quarrying activities or extraction of minerals and ancillary activities. Before granting the resource consent, the consent authority must satisfy itself that there is a functional need for the quarrying activities, or the extraction of minerals and ancillary activities, in that location.

These regulations amend the principal regulations so that a consent authority could instead satisfy itself that there is an operational need (instead of, or as well as, a functional need) for the quarrying activities, or the extraction of minerals and ancillary activities, in that location.