“IKEA’s consent conditions show the absurd demands that councils are able to make that slow development, drive up cost, and make New Zealand a less attractive place to do business,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. ACT has obtained a copy of the 2023 resource consent for IKEA's Sylvia Park development.

IKEA’s consent requirements include:

• Inviting representatives of seven different mana whenua groups “to undertake cultural monitoring, karakia and other such cultural ceremonies on the site” at the pre-start meeting, commencement of earthworks and immediately prior to completion of bulk earthworks across the site, with 10 days' notice before each of those events.
• Consulting with mana whenua on design aspects including erosion and sediment control measures, stormwater treatment, planting, the ‘Culvert-edge walkway’, and fencing.
• Mana whenua must be afforded the opportunity to provide Cultural Monitoring as deemed required by the respective mana whenua representatives.
• Mana whenua must be afforded access to the site at their discretion.

“What message do conditions like these send to other businesses looking to invest in New Zealand?" says Seymour.

“This is especially relevant for supermarkets, where we urgently need more competition. Companies like Aldi or Coles will think twice about entering the market if they realise they’ll face this cultural rigmarole at hundreds of separate sites, each with potentially different requirements.

“We should be rolling out the welcome mat for anyone wanting to bring much-needed competition to New Zealand. Instead, we’re forcing them to navigate demands based on metaphysical concepts not required anywhere else in the world. The result is Kiwis see higher prices at the checkout, less jobs, and lower incomes.

“That’s why Cabinet has agreed there will be no general Treaty principles clause in the new resource management system. We will continue to uphold Treaty settlements, but we cannot continue to have planners bogging down everyone's consents by demanding this sort of absurdity."

The full resource consent for IKEA can be found here.

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