Section 80 — Resource Management Act 1991: Local authorities may combine to prepare, etc, plans

80 Local authorities may combine to prepare, etc, plans (1) Two or more territorial authorities may agree to jointly prepare, implement, and administer a combined district plan for the whole or any part of their combined districts. (2) Two or more regional councils may agree to jointly prepare, implement, and administer a combined regional plan for the whole or any part of their combined regions. (3) One or more regional councils or territorial authorities may agree to jointly prepare, implement, and administer a combined regional and district plan for the whole or any part of their respective regions or districts. (4) A local authority that is both a regional council and a territorial authority may prepare, implement, and administer a combined regional and district plan for the whole or any part of its region or district. (5) The relevant local authorities shall consider the preparation of a combined regional or district plan under this section whenever significant cross-boundary issues relating to the use, development, or protection of natural and physical resources arise or are likely to arise. (6) Such a combined plan may be prepared after consideration under subsection (5) or in any other case where the local authorities concerned consider it appropriate to do so. (7) The provisions of clause 30 of Schedule 7 of the Local Government Act 2002 that relate to joint committees apply to the appointment and conduct of any joint committee set up for the purposes of this section. (8) Where a combined plan is prepared under this section— (a) It shall be prepared in accordance with Schedule 1 ; and (b) When approved by a local authority (whether or not approved by any of the other local authorities), it shall be deemed to be a plan separately prepared and approved by that authority for its region or district for the purposes of this Act. Subsection (7) was substituted, as from 1 July 2003, by section 262 Local Government Act 2002 (2002 No 84). See sections 273 to 314 of that Act as to the savings and transitional provisions.