2 August 2005 - Wellington

Media release for immediate use

Business writes own rules

The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society today challenged Environment Minister, Marian Hobbs, to include community, environment and health interests in the development of national infrastructure standards and policies.

“These national standards and policy statements are too important to be written by officials and the vested interests which they are meant to regulate,” Forest and Bird’s Conservation Manager Kevin Hackwell said today.

“If the Resource Management and Electricity Amendment Bill is passed these standards and policies will rewrite district and regional plans without the robust public processes and Environment Court oversight that exist for those plans.”

“The public process suggested by the Minister for the Environment for involving the community is totally inadequate.”

ENDS

Notes

The six reference groups Development Interests Community/Environment Interests
Electricity transmission Transpower, Federated Farmers Nil
Electricity generation Transpower, Generators, Federated Farmers Nil
Telecommunications facilities Telecommunications Nil
Land transport noise Transit NZ, Automobile Association Nil
Stormwater runoff Transit NZ, Automobile Association Nil
Gas pipelines and facilities Gas Industry, Federated Farmers Nil

Copies of the Cabinet paper are available from Forest and Bird.

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