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EDS submission on Resource Management Reform Bill
The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has filed its submission on the Resource Management Amendment Bill 2019 with the Environment Select Committee of Parliament.
“We are broadly supportive of the proposed amendments, many of which roll back bad changes made last year,” said EDS CEO Gary Taylor.
“The Bill removes provisions giving Ministers excessive powers and repeals provisions that many submitters to the previous Bill considered unworkable. It also creates a new plan-making process for freshwater reform. We support those provisions and most of the technical changes proposed.
“EDS has made suggestions for other amendments to be added to the Bill including:
• The creation of a Freshwater Commission to provide implementation oversight for freshwater planning
• Giving the Environment Court power to
decide notification appeals
• Widening the Minister
for the Environment’s ability to call-in plans to include
regional policy statements
• Enabling resource
consent applications by recidivist RMA offenders to be
refused
• Including climate change mitigation in
section 6 as a matter of national
importance
• Further changes to better enable public
participation in resource management processes.
“EDS
will be appearing in support of its submission,” Mr Taylor
concluded.
The EDS submission is available here.
Submissions on the Bill are due on 7 November.
ends
Environmental Defence Society
EDS speaks for the environment. It has influence.
Since 1971, EDS has been driving environmental protection in Aotearoa New Zealand
through law and policy change. That's why it's one of this country's most influential non-
profit organisations when it comes to achieving better environmental outcomes.
EDS has expertise in key disciplines including law, planning, landscape and science. It
operates as a policy think-tank, a litigation advocate, and a collaborator – bringing together
the private and public sectors for constructive engagement.
EDS runs conferences and seminars on topical issues, including an annual Environmental
Summit and the Climate Change and Business Conference.
EDS is a registered charity and donations to it are tax-deductible.
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