Feds warns resource management proposals won’t deliver

Feds warns resource management proposals won’t deliver

Federated Farmers told the select committee considering the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill today (Monday May 16, 2016) that current proposals will reduce the opportunity for public input, reduce opportunity for local decision making, and increase process costs.

Spokesperson Chris Allen said making changes to the current plan-making process to enable a more efficient, flexible, proportionate and streamlined plan change process is long overdue but as the bill stands, changes won’t deliver.

Federated Farmers made 17 submission points but spoke to the three it believes will be game-changers for farming and local communities going forward.

The three main submission points include:

1.the powers of Ministerial intervention should not be proceeded with;

2.the livestock exclusion from water-bodies provisions should be revamped, providing a greater role for locally developed solutions;

3.the iwi participation provisions should be reduced in ambit.

"Federated Farmers is particularly concerned about the extent of provisions that are made for intervention by central government through the powers of Ministerial intervention. The Bill needs adequate checks and balances to prevent a future Minister from following his or her own agenda with little regard to the community’s ability to absorb these measures. These powers are also inconsistent with the Bill’s collaborative process, Mr Allen said.

"Federated Farmers agrees that some regulation of livestock access to water-bodies at a national level is required. But this needs to be accompanied by robust cost benefit analysis that includes practicality tests. Federated Farmers believes a better approach would be for central government to set a set a minimum standard and let local councils decide how best to meet the standard, taking into account conditions in the local area.

"Federated Farmers accepts it is appropriate for to consultation to take place with iwi prior to policy statement or plan notification, but in addition recommends mandatory consultation with anyone who is directly affected by the provisions proposed in a planning instrument.

"Federated Farmers is resistant to the RMA being used as a tool for treaty settlements as this was never the RMA’s intention. Further Federated Farmers received an undertaking by the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations six years ago that the government would not go down this route.

Mr Allen concluded: "The efficiency and effectiveness of the resource management system is crucial to the success of farming in New Zealand and the crucial provincial economy.

"It is hoped Federated Farmers’ submission will mean the government can deliver substantive, system-wide improvements that the resource management system so urgently requires without the pit falls and unintended consequences that can come when law-makers don’t consider practical experience."

ENDS

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