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Minister Praises Nrc Consent Processing
Number of pages: 02
Date: 12 June, 2009
Minister Praises Nrc Consent Processing
Environment Minister Nick Smith has congratulated the Northland Regional Council for its “excellent” handling of resource consent applications and the positive impact this has on the local economy.
Dr Smith praises the Council for processing 99 percent of the 904 resource consent applications it received in the 2007/08 financial year inside the time limits imposed by the Resource Management Act (RMA).
That means the NRC is now ranked 7th of the 84 local authorities surveyed, a jump of two places from the previous 2005/06 survey.
“Your Council is to be congratulated for its high level of compliance and efficient systems, Dr Smith says in a letter to the NRC.
Dr Smith says the NRC’s excellent performance comes at a time when latest Ministry for the Environment figures show record numbers of Councils nationally are not meeting consent processing deadlines. (The Ministry surveys local authorities’ performance on key aspects of RMA implementation every two years and has just released the results for 2007/08.)
“I have written letters of concern to non-performing Councils and so to be balanced have also chosen to write to the very best performers.”
Councillor Lorraine Hill, who chairs the NRC’s Hearings Committee, says Dr Smith congratulates the Council’s consents processing staff for the important work they’re doing and says Regional Councillors are pleased to see the organisation’s work recognised.
She says equally pleasing is the fact the NRC’s processing times compare well to other local authorities in Northland, despite the Regional Council processing significantly more consents.
Cr Hill says she agrees with Dr Smith that timely processing of consent applications is critical in the current economic climate.
“Delays in processing can result in significant holding costs, delays in investments and projects being cancelled with flow-on economic and employment losses,” Dr Smith says. “Your Council’s excellent performance ensures greater productivity and makes a difference to your community and our nation.”
ends
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