Environment Minister David Parker has released new best practice guidelines for compliance, monitoring and enforcement under the Resource Management Act 1991.

The guidelines are intended to help councils with their compliance, monitoring and enforcement (CME) responsibilities under the Resource Management Act.

They cover all CME activities including how to strategically approach compliance, carry out monitoring and investigations and take enforcement actions.

The guidelines include examples of effective council practices, and standard tools and templates for CME staff to use.

The primary audience for the guidelines is council CME staff, executive staff, and elected representatives. They also have the objective of helping the public, iwi and Māori groups, and any other interested parties understand how CME is carried out.

Mr Parker says National Monitoring System data shows that 14% of resource consents monitored by councils in 2015/16 were non-compliant, with 20% of regional council-monitored consents non-compliant.