The Resource Management Act has largely failed to protect biodiversity and water quality, and a review is desperately
needed to fix the legislation.
Forest & Bird Conservation Group Manager Jen Miller says, “Despite the RMA being a highly innovative piece of legislation at the
time it was written, it has failed to achieve its purpose of protecting our native species, special places, or water
quality."
“New Zealand’s environment and native species have reached an absolute crisis point through continual concessions to
development, land use intensification, and inadequate monitoring and enforcement of environmental rules."
Miller says, “The RMA has slowed this decline in some instances, but not altered the overall pathway towards extinction
for most of our native species and habitats.
“The RMA also specifically excludes climate change considerations. This has meant irresponsible activities such as coal
mining and coal-powered milk drying furnaces have been permitted despite the disastrous effect burning the coal has on
our environment.
“It is was a gross failure of New Zealand’s decision makers to turn their backs on the most pressing environmental issue
humanity and the environment has ever faced, by writing climate change out of the RMA. We look forward to helping
correct this deliberate and immoral decision."
Forest & Bird are pleased with Ministerial assurances that there will be close consultation with environmental groups and iwi
throughout the review.
ends