Media release from Fish & Game NZ

Fish & Game hails Maori Party, United Future RMA stance

Fish & Game NZ welcomes the joint decision by the Maori Party and United Future not to support proposed changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) which would remove core environmental protection mechanisms from the legislation.

Chief executive Bryce Johnson says the Maori Party and United Future should be congratulated for their principled stance – one which will ultimately benefit the environment, the economy and, as a result, present and future generations of New Zealanders.

“That the Government’s key collation partners – the Maori Party and United Future – won’t support changes to Part 2 of the RMA indicates in the clearest terms that the proposed amendments were too extreme and skewed the balance too far in favour of development and resource exploitation at the expense of the environment,” he says.

Mr Johnson points out that, like the Maori Party and United Future, Fish & Game NZ agrees that improvements can, and should, be made to tidy up the process issues within the Act to allow for sustainable economic development and an improved resource consenting framework.

“However, we have been concerned from the outset that the reform agenda was being used as a Trojan horse to tamper with the fundamental principles of the RMA,” he says.

“A significant body of evidence, along with expert analysis from resource management professionals warn that gutting Part 2 of the Act will not achieve the Government’s stated intention of reducing uncertainty and cost.

“In fact, the Government has been advised that removing the core environmental protection mechanisms will actually increase uncertainty and cost because 20 years of case law will be rendered redundant and have to be recalibrated. Untied Future and the Maori party agree that would be counterproductive, a significant backward step for our economy and our natural environment.

“They also agree that the changes would have paved the way for private commercial interests to override environmental principles in the RMA, and that should not be allowed to happen.”

Mr Johnson says Part 2 of the RMA essentially safeguards clean water, landscapes and access to beaches, lakes and rivers from inappropriate development and commercialisation.

“The announcement by the Maori Party and United Future today is a win for Kiwi values – the things New Zealanders hold dear about this country.

"Sir Geoffrey Palmer's scholarly and comprehensive analysis on the Government's RMA reforms is an essential read for all who have an interest in the wise, sustainable management of New Zealand's finite natural resources (http://www.fishandgame.org.nz/rma-reforms)."   

RMA reform facts:

99% of the 13,277 public submissions on the RMA reform document were opposed to the Government’s proposed changes.

Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright recently warned of the Government’s intention of drastically changing the RMA from an environmental protection statute into an “economic development act”. 

Expert legal analysis for the NZ Fish & Game Council provided by Sir Geoffrey Palmer, one of the central architects of the RMA, warns that tampering with Part 2 of the Act “will significantly and seriously weaken the ability of the RMA to protect the natural environment and its recreational enjoyment by all New Zealanders”.

Fish & Game supports moves to shorten timeframes, improve planning processes and simplify planning documents, which can be achieved through the Government’s proposed process-orientated reforms. However, Fish & Game is totally opposed to this being used as an excuse to attack the core principles of the Act, effectively lowering environmental standards.

Critics, including the Environment Minister, claim that the RMA is costly, uncertain and stymies economic development. This is NOT support by the facts. The Ministry for the Environment’s most recent performance survey shows that of the 36,154 resource consent applications decided for 2010/11:

-          0.56 % (203) of applications declined

-          4 % (1414) of applications publicly notified

-          2 % (849) of notified to affected parties

-          1 % (357) of decisions were appealed.

-          Local authority officers acting under delegated authority made 91% of decisions on resource consent applications.

-          95 % of resource consents processed on time.

(Source: MfE http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/rma/annual-survey/2010-2011/key-facts/index.html

ENDS

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