Overhaul of the RMA will help create jobs

Media Statement
3 February 2009

Overhaul of the Resource Management Act will help create jobs

‘Phase One’ of the changes to the Resource Management Act, announced by the Government this afternoon, will go a long way to creating jobs and kick-starting the New Zealand economy, according to Property Council New Zealand.

Connal Townsend, Chief Executive of Property Council, said the Government’s proposed Resource Management (Simplify and Streamline) Amendment Bill represents one of the most significant improvements to the resource and land management in New Zealand for a generation.

“For nearly 20 years projects and developments that could have created thousands of jobs and significantly added to the nation’s wealth, have been choked to death by never-ending and time consuming objections, counter-objections, appeals and consultation, all in the name of so-called resource management. New Zealanders have suffered because of a bad law that is in dire need of an overhaul.

“Property Council has been advocating for an overhaul of the Resource Management Act, and was thoroughly impressed with the general thrust of reform proposed by Nick Smith prior to the 2008 General Election. We are pleased that the National-led Government, in conjunction with its support partners, has followed through on its pre-election promise by designing a Bill that will significantly reduce compliance and holding costs, and enable wealth-generating development projects to proceed,” Connal Townsend said.

Significant reforms to the Resource Management Act, which have been advocated by Property Council and earmarked for inclusion in the Government’s Bill include:

• the removal of frivolous, vexatious and anti-competitive objections;
  


• the stream-lining of the process for projects of national importance;
  


• improvements to the process for plan development and plan changes;
  


• improvements to the process for considering applications for a resource consent; and
  


• improvements to the process for determining whether or not to grant a resource consent.

“Property Council will submit on the Bill through the forthcoming Select Committee consultation process. We are keen to support changes will create jobs and generate economic growth. “However there are likely to be a number of areas where we believe further changes are required. For example, the Government has proposed a package of measures that limit the ability for local authorities to ‘stop the processing clock’ and develop a discount policy in respect of late consent processing. While
such changes are laudable, perhaps a better approach would be to penalise local authorities by deeming any application that has not been processed in accordance with the statutory timeframe, to have been approved.

“Experience has taught Property Council that only the bluntest and most punitive penalties have any impact on the local government sector. Tough rules need to be applied to force councils into the real world, where time is of the essence and delay can cost millions of dollars,” Connal Townsend said.

ENDS

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