RMA DEAD AND BURIED

 After 35 years, the Resource Management Act has finally been put to rest.

When the RMA was introduced in 1991, it was promoted as transformational environmental legislation that would enable development while protecting the environment. Simon Upton, the Environment Minister who shepherded the legislation through Parliament, said that provided its core environmental objectives were met, “what people get up to is their affair. As such, the Bill provides a more liberal regime for developers.”

MANA WHAKAHONO AGREEMENTS: GONE OR RENAMED?

 The Government has confirmed that existing Mana Whakahono ā Rohe* agreements between councils and local iwi will be scrapped as part of its sweeping resource management reforms. But is their replacement any better?

Although the Government had originally intended to carry these agreements into the new planning system, it reversed course after a rapid surge in new agreements and sustained opposition from critics.

RMA overhaul - have your say

Photo credit: NZ Herald

Planning laws are about to undergo their biggest shake-up since the Resource Management Act (RMA) was introduced in 1991.

The RMA is now so broken that it is being consigned to the rubbish bin and replaced with two new pieces of legislation: the Planning Act and the Natural Environment Act. These Bills are currently working their way through Parliament and are before a select committee that will hear public submissions.

The Natural Environment Act sets out the environmental rules and consenting framework. It defines how consents will be assessed, what standards must be met, and how councils make decisions. The legislation is intended to be simpler, faster, and more predictable than the RMA.