Resource management law is fundamentally forward looking. As practitioners, we often need to “crystal ball” gaze and forecast the effects and impacts, be they likely or potential, of whatever activities have been proposed.

But sometimes we need to lift our heads from our day-to-day endeavours and reflect on where all this is leading. In doing so, we can also examine the role that the RMA could, or should, play in enabling innovation, technology and visionary thinking.

We now live in an ultra-connected environment that’s changing faster than ever before. Young and old seem, more than ever, to speak different languages in an increasingly digital world, and urban and rural communities can still seem to be worlds apart.

How then do we plan for a future that’s yet to be imagined, frame changing environments as opportunities instead of threats and regulate environments we can’t yet predict?

The 2019 RMLA Visionary Environments conference will treat delegates to some forward-looking wisdom based on real-world examples and visions of the challenging potential futures we may all have to contend with.

Explore what it might take to ensure water resources will sustain us and the needs of communities and the environment in the years ahead. Imagine how we could live, work and feed ourselves. What sort of food might we eat? Consider how we can harness energy to power the future in an age affected by, and responding to, climate change.

Christchurch’s recovery from its seismic recent past is also an example of embracing adversity and generally looking forward (please don’t mention cathedrals) at ways to improve how things work and learn from past lessons. But wherever there’s change, we will also find resistance to change, entrenched interests and fears for the future. How fit for purpose are tools at our disposal to enable visionary opportunities to be embraced, or will we all need a literal shake-up (or burnout/blowout/washout) before innovation and visionary thinking can take hold?

As well as being challenged to look further ahead and imagine the possibilities, delegates will get to enjoy – in the here and now – the best offerings from Canterbury producers and some of the attractions that the city and region now have to offer.

Visionary Environments also embraces waste minimisation, reusability, and digital access to information. And by popular demand, we’ll be packing the conference programme into just two engaging, thought provoking and, we think, entertaining days.

Join us and the rest of the delegates in Christchurch for fresh perspectives on some Visionary Environments of the future.