National Spatial Planning and Management Act 2012 (Tonga)

The National Spatial Planning and Management Act provides a framework for the planning, use, development, management, and protection of land in Tonga. The Act establishes the National Spatial Planning Authority, in which authority shall be held by the Minister of Lands. The Authority is responsible mainly for the exercise of the powers conferred by this Act so as to meet its objectives, including facilitating the preparation and approval of sustainable management plans, ensuring that such plans are amended as appropriate and otherwise made as relevant as possible, undertaking development assessment, and giving approvals or declining to do so, preparing and approving development standards or guidelines provided for by this Act, or which may facilitate its implementation or advance its objectives; issuing such orders and taking such other action as is provided for by this Act; and otherwise taking such enforcement action as is provided for. The Act promotes that a national, regional, district, village or site-specific spatial plan be made to achieve the objectives of the Act. The Act prescribes the procedure for the preparation of the Plan, the content of the plan, requirement for consultation, submission of the the draft, recommendations to and decision by the Authority.