The planning process is set to be made easier with new plans and regulations coming into operation today.

Environment Minister Alex Attwood said he will introduce the regulations to make the process easier for people to understand and to use.

He said: "These new regulations represent a significant step forward. They will streamline the public inquiry process by placing responsibility for the processing of additional environmental information with the Planning Appeals Commission rather than the Department, as was previously the case. In practice this will help to remove uncertainty and delays from the public enquiry process and improve the quality of decision making for projects requiring an EIA.

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"They will be particularly important for large development projects which should now be processed faster and more efficiently, an important factor in securing much-needed investment."

The Minister added: "The new regulations will ensure that the cumulative effects of any change to an existing development are considered and will provide the necessary safeguards in determining significant applications with environmental effects."