Government’s announcement on RMA reforms expected tomorrow

The Environmental Defence Society is expecting really bad news for the environment from tomorrow’s National Party Conference.

“We expect that the Minister for the Environment will be announcing the Government’s latest Resource Management Act reforms tomorrow morning at 9.30 am,” said EDS Chairman Gary Taylor.

“We are also expecting the Ministry for the Environment to be releasing its summary of the 14,000 submissions on the Draft proposals at exactly the same time.

“Whilst we remain hopeful that the radical changes proposed to Part 2 of the Act will have been dropped, there are no signs that is likely.

“We anticipate the signalled changes to the Act will proceed in spite of widespread opposition to them from a range of key stakeholders across society.

“Those changes will eviscerate many of the environmental protections in sections 6 and 7 of the Act.

“That will lower environmental standards across the country and bring New Zealand’s clean green reputation further into the critical international spotlight at exactly the wrong time,” Mr Taylor concluded

ENDS

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New Court Orders, Screening, Guardianship Changes...: Government Ignoring Poverty, Again

It remains to be seen if announcements today will better protect children, but the National Government is forgoing an opportunity to really help kids by ignoring the elephant in the room, which is poverty, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei says.

"All the experts have told the Government that very low income is associated with higher rates of child maltreatment and neglect -- something which was totally ignored in the Government's Children's Action Plan and the announcements today," Mrs Turei said. More>>