The Labour-Alliance Government's lack of commitment to reduce compliance costs has been highlighted once again with its
treatment of the Resource Management Amendment Bill, National's Compliance Costs spokesperson Warren Kyd said today.
"Introduced by the previous National Government, the Resource Management Amendment Bill was aimed to cut resource
management costs and reduce time delays. But the Bill has been so substantially amended by the parliamentary select
committee that far from reducing these costs, it will increase them.
Mr Kyd said changes to the Resource Management Amendment Bill on top of other Government actions that have been costly
to business, make any efforts made by the Government's so-called Compliance Cost Panel look trivial.
"Some other actions include the removal of competition in ACC, the Employment Relations Act and the wrongful
appropriation of GST from the tourist industry. Its promise to reduce compliance costs is already in tatters."
Mr Kyd said changes to the Bill would give greater weight to Iwi management plans.
"This will add to costs and I believe the changes are racially prejudiced. There will now be no limit on the financial
contribution to be made by developers and thus the costs of development will escalate. Extra significance will be given
to historic heritage.
"National's efforts to tighten the wide definition of environment and amenity values will be lost as will the ability to
refer directly to the Environment Court and appoint Commissioners.
"The business community is fast realising that all the talk about reducing compliance costs is exactly that. The real
intent of this Government is to increase the role of the State in planning and business, rather than reduce it," Mr Kyd
said.
Ends