Calls For Government To Work With Councils On RMA Reform

Thursday, 24 July 2025, 5:39 pm
Article: David Hill - Local Democracy Reporter

Canterbury’s regional council has called on the Government to work more closely with councils as it overhauls the Resource Management Act (RMA).

Environment Canterbury (ECan) approved a submission on the national direction under the RMA at a council meeting on Wednesday, July 23, where it supported many of the proposed changes.

In moving the motion to approve the submission, North Canterbury councillor Grant Edge called on central Government to work more closely with local and regional government.

The Government has sought feedback on proposals to address infrastructure and development, the primary sector, and freshwater, with submissions closing on July 27.

Cr Edge said there needed to be more collaboration with communities, while funding and financial issues needed to be resolved.

The national direction has some useful tools, including spatial planning which councils are already using, Cr Edge said.

‘‘Spatial planning tools are potentially a powerful mechanism for us in Canterbury and nationally to resolve some of these issues.’’

Councils have used spatial plans, such as the Greater Christchurch spatial plan, to identify how urban areas can grow by opening up land for housing, addressing public transport needs, climate change and resolving historical issues such as kāinga nohoanga development.

While he backed the submission, deputy chairperson Deon Swiggs said stopping councils from addressing their own planning needs could lead to ‘‘unintended consequences’’.

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has put a stop to councils working on District and Regional Plans and regional policy statements until the new RMA legislation takes effect, which is expected to be in 2027.

ECan voted in November to put its regional policy statement on hold until it had more certainty around Government reform.

Dr Swiggs said there were provisions in the draft regional policy statement to address areas not covered in national guidelines and reduce the risk of untended consequences.

‘‘But it looks like we won’t be able to address that until 2027 and even then, we may be limited in our scope.’’

Ngāi Tahu councillor Tutehounuku Korako said while he welcomed the national statement of Papakāinga housing, the Government needed to be mindful that Māori were facing worse housing outcomes than non-Māori.

‘‘To enable intensification of Mana Whenua, a co-ordinated approach is about whenua governance, planning framework adaptation, infrastructure enablement, cultural integration and access to funding and expertise.

‘‘It ultimately needs to support the reconnection of whānau to whenua (land).

The submission had overwhelming support from councillors, with just Cr David East abstaining.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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