CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND
MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
22 January 2015

Caritas cautions against undermining fundamental purpose of RMA

The proposed Resource Management Act changes must keep promotion of sustainable environmental management as the main purpose of the Resource Management Act, and not use affordable housing as camouflage for significant changes, says Caritas.

The Catholic agency for justice, peace and development, Caritas points out that proposals recognising infrastructure and economic growth alongside environmental impacts run the risk of undermining stewardship and kaitiakitanga - currently key principles included in the Act.

“Decisions about the environment and resource management must take into account their impact on and the needs of people not only in New Zealand, but in other parts of the world and on future generations,” says Caritas Advocacy and Research Manager Lisa Beech.

Caritas’ recent report on Pacific environmental issues Small yet strong: voices from Oceania on the environment clearly highlights the impact of environmental degradation on people who depend on land and sea for their survival in our region, including Aotearoa New Zealand.

“The international community faces significant decisions this year about global climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris,” says Ms Beech.

“Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, we need to ensure we provide the right framework to protect our fragile environment for the sake of future generations.”

“The Act’s purpose is not about ‘balancing’ environmental and economic costs and benefits. It’s about protecting the environmental bottom-line, because the resources of the Earth are for all to share in,” says Ms Beech.

“As Pope Francis has said, ‘creation is not a property, which we can dispose of at will; much less so is it the property of a some, of a few: creation is a gift, it is a present, a wonderful gift that God has given us to take care of and to use for the benefit of all’."

Caritas supports streamlining of the Act and encouraging collaborative ways of resolving resource management issues, as well as moves that would increase the supply of safe, good quality, affordable housing. But the Act’s fundamental purpose must remain the promotion of sustainable management of natural and physical resources for present and future generations.

“We support collaborative processes such as those the Minister says worked successfully with the Land and Water Forum,” Ms Beech says.

“We all have a stake in the environment. So the more people and interests involved, the better, to ensure good outcomes satisfactory to most parties.”

ENDS

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