Best Practicable Option - What Do We Really Mean?

The Resource Management Act 1991 introduced the concept of the Best Practicable Option (BPO) with respect to the management of discharges of contaminants and noise emissions, and henceforth set the framework for the way in which many if not most stormwater-related activities would be regulated. This framework however is complex and open to interpretation and discretion, leading to inconsistencies in the way that the BPO is argued and determined.

Drawing on considerable experience gained by the authors over the past 10 years, both through the design of numerous projects and the review of a large number and variety of resource consent applications on behalf of Auckland councils, this paper presents a synopsis of the interpretation and implementation of the BPO framework, and attempts to provide a clearer understanding and greater consistency in the implementation of BPO criteria, specifically in the context of stormwater management in the Auckland region.