Media Release

15 April 2004

An Opportunity For The Next Decade

New Zealand First would be extremely disappointed if the Associate Minister for the Environment, David Benson-Pope, does not call for widespread public submissions on any proposed Resource Management Amendment Bill, said local government spokesperson Jim Peters.

“The Resource Management Act is over a decade old and has been the subject of both National Party and Labour Party review,” said Mr Peters.

“The latest amendment bill went to the House in 1999, then was drastically changed by the Labour-Alliance Government in 2001, and was finally passed in 2003.

“An opportunity was lost.

“Jim Anderton’s call for a review of the nation’s infrastructure needs provides an excellent opportunity for the Government to properly review the Resource Management Act and seek submissions from all councils, major interested bodies and citizens about the shape of a new Amendment Act for the next decade.

“Ratepayers and citizens need the opportunity to express their opinions about resource management as it affects them day by day.
“Along with those who favour special treatment for major projects, there must be an opportunity for all to be heard about the environment which affects us all.
“Any national perspective on resource management must begin with a consideration of local and regional perspectives,” said Mr Peters.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>