The second area that the select committee focused on was ensuring that councils have the discretion to exclude those areas which are not suited to density of the sort proposed in the medium-density residential zone. Now, this is achieved in the bill via what are termed qualifying matters. These qualifying matters are really important for giving councils flexibility to manage development in certain areas where density may not be a good idea. So it's for matters of national importance such as the natural character of the coastal environment, wetlands, lakes, and rivers, protection of outstanding natural features, landscapes, and historic heritage, management of significant risks from natural hazards, the requirement for the safe and efficient operation of infrastructure, and scope to identify other qualifying matters. 