Media release from Fish & Game NZ

New substantive Sir Geoffrey Palmer report on RMA released

Fish & Game has today released to the public and all political parties a final and substantive legal analysis prepared by Sir Geoffrey Palmer on the Government’s RMA reforms.

This follows on from Sir Geoffrey’s earlier analysis of the then proposed changes to Part 2 of the RMA, made public in late May this year.

Since that time the Government has released the summary of public submissions and its detailed intentions for the proposed reforms.

"Our earlier fears have been totally confirmed by Sir Geoffrey’s scholarly and comprehensive latest legal analysis," says Fish & Game chief executive Bryce Johnson.

“The reform proposals are clearly a matter that ought to be of great interest and concern to all New Zealanders who love our natural environment and the outdoor recreation opportunities it provides.”

In the words of Sir Geoffrey: “I have concluded that the environmental protection offered by the Act will be weakened by the passage of the Government’s proposed changes. No amount of assertion or assurances given can alter that analytical fact.”

Further, he states that “the protections for the New Zealand environment offered by the Resource Management Act have been progressively whittled away over time. The Government’s latest proposals erode those protections further – most seriously by amending the decision-making principles at the very heart of the Act itself. They are a major step backwards for environmental protection in New Zealand, and for the continued recreational enjoyment of the environment by all New Zealanders.”

Mr Johnson says he strongly urges all interested people to read Sir Geoffrey’s comprehensive analysis, which is available on the Fish & Game website (http://www.fishandgame.org.nz/rma-reforms).

ENDS

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