Incremental RMA changes matter for people and place

Forest & Bird says the Resource Management Act reforms passed in Parliament last night are a sign of more to come, and New Zealanders generally don’t understand how significant the rest of the government’s planned changes to the RMA are for New Zealand.

“Step by step, one bill at a time, the Minister for the Environment is making it harder for people to look after their local place,” Forest & Bird Conservation Advocate Claire Browning says.

The Resource Management Reform Bill 2012, which had its third reading last night in Parliament, contains major reforms relating to the Auckland Unitary Plan. It is also the latest attempt by the government to direct all communities around the country on how they can protect their local trees.

“Put simply, these changes will mean fewer trees are protected and more are felled. People living in major urban areas don’t realise just what these changes will mean for the liveability of their cities, particularly in Auckland,” Claire Browning says.

“Overall what we’re seeing from this government is a shift from community and democratic participation under the RMA, to more powers for ministers, developers, and private property owners,” Claire Browning says.

The 2012 Bill is less controversial than the one to come later in 2013, but is still significant, especially for those living in Auckland.

“But what’s most notable about this bill is what it shows about the government’s overall pattern of reform. Yet another RMA reform bill - the next in the rolling maul of government reforms - will be introduced by Christmas. In that bill, the RMA will be profoundly changed - rewriting planning rules for all communities, as well as key parts of the Act,” Claire Browning says.

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