Proper review of RMA is overdue

Proper review of RMA is overdue

Transfund's admission that large amounts of road funding can't be spent this year is another indictment of the Resource Management Act, helped by the Land Transport Management Act with a dash of climate change policies on the side, says Business NZ.

Transfund has admitted that $250 million worth of road funding will have to be carried over to the next funding year.

Business NZ Chief Executive Simon Carlaw said the amount of allocated but unspent money for urgent roading is increasing every year, because of obstacles imposed by legislation.

"The RMA is not only a barrier to power generation and transmission - along with the Land Transport Management Act it is also preventing roads from being built," Mr Carlaw said.

"Transfund says work is needed to give the construction industry confidence to gear up for a higher level of activity - that statement speaks volumes about the environment for development in New Zealand."

Mr Carlaw said recent statements by Associate Environment Minister David Benson-Pope provided little scope for confidence that there would be any meaningful review of the RMA.

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