“We have moved away from just managing effects of activities”
The government has released a draft of its proposed law to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA), which it earlier promised to repeal and replace.
Environment Minister David Parker said the Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA) would replace the RMA and cover land use and environmental regulation.
The NBA’s exposure draft, outlining the bill’s key aspects, will be presented to Parliament then referred to a select committee inquiry. It includes:
- The purpose of the NBA (including Te Tiriti o Waitangi clause) and related provisions;
- The National Planning Framework; and
- Natural and Built Environment plans.
Parker said NBA’s exposure draft is the first of two opportunities for stakeholders and the public to give feedback on the reforms.
“The initial select committee inquiry is a novel way to provide an open and transparent platform for the public to have an early say on this key legislation,” Parker said.
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Parker noted that the RMA takes too long, costs too much, and has not protected the environment overall. By contrast, the proposed law is less complex, takes less time to administer, and is less costly.
“While not the sole cause of the housing crisis, planning rules are partly to blame,” he continued. “Simplifying processes will also add to system efficiency.”
Parker explained that a new national planning framework would provide clear direction on implementing the new system, with the integrated set of regulations including mandatory environmental limits that cannot be crossed to avoid irreversible harm to the environment.
“We have moved away from just managing the effects of activities because the existing RMA has allowed cumulative adverse effects including degraded water, increasing climate emissions, and soil loss,” he added.
A second select committee process will be held when the full bill is introduced to Parliament early next year. The select committee inquiry is expected to run for around three months, and the public will be invited to make submissions on the exposure draft of the new bill during this time.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity to get this right, so we want to make sure we do get it right,” Parker said.
