Repeating his comments of Tuesday 17 October to the Distilled Spirits Association in Auckland, the Rt Hon Winston Peters MP, Leader of New Zealand First, today said that the process of removing the ailing but famous pine tree on One Tree Hill is a specific example of how the application of resource law can harm the economy.

“This process has begun with Auckland City Council beginning the consent process necessary to replace the tree. The Parks and Recreation Committee has endorsed the lodging of the consent application for removal of the lone tree. It will consider the draft resource consent for replacing the tree at a later meeting.

“Two consents are required – one for the removal of the current tree and the second for any replacement -–and are being lodged separately! Put aside the asinine behaviour of not lodging and hearing both applications at the same time. Instead, focus on the wasted time, the duplication of work, the salaries and allowances to be paid. And it gets worse.

“The first application is being lodged on a non notified basis, so that the tree can be removed only when the tree has reached the point where it will become unsafe and, at that time, it will be removed in a controlled manner.

“The Committee said replacing the tree would be a more complex issue, requiring widespread consultation and a notified resource consent.

“The Auckland City Council has begun consulting with regional iwi, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Cornwall Park Trust and others about the replacement of the pine tree.

“This demonstrable nonsense is what every enterprise today faces in their operations as well,” said Mr Peters.

Mr Peters said that when we take these manifold impediments to domestic growth into account, we have an environment which is increasingly unattractive to overseas investment (when it fits not just their interests but ours) which, in turn, exacerbates the problem the country now faces – retarded growth with rising inflation.

ENDS

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