20 December 

Federated Farmers are welcoming today’s repeal of the Natural and Built Environment Act and Spatial Planning Act.

"This was one of Federated Farmers' 12 key policy priorities for restoring farmer confidence, so we’re really pleased to see the new Government have made it a priority," Feds RMA reform spokesperson Mark Hooper says.

"Farmers have been crying out for reform of our cumbersome resource management laws for decades, but those reforms needed to be done right. "Unfortunately, Labour’s reform programme completely missed the mark.

"Instead of offering more certainty and making life easier for New Zealanders, they were going to deliver the exact opposite - complexity, cost, and uncertainty."

Hooper says Labour’s model of unelected regional planning committees would have moved decision-making further away from local communities and reduced democratic accountability in our planning system.

Federated Farmers also had serious concerns about vague new concepts that were being introduced that would have led to years of needless and expensive litigation through the courts.

"Today’s repeal is a positive step forward, but its very much a case of the job only being half done.

"The new Government now need to get to work drafting a replacement that will reduce cost and complexity in the planning system, and empower local democracy.

"Federated Farmers are urging the new Government to start work on replacement legislation early in the new year.

"It's important reform is progressed at pace so new legislation can be introduced this parliamentary term," Hooper concluded.

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