Greenpeace says the Government's rewrite of New Zealand's core environmental laws includes an outrageous new idea, whereby companies will be able to claim financial compensation when councils introduce rules to limit pollution or protect the environment.

The proposal, called "regulatory takings" was announced as part of the Government’s plan to replace the Resource Management Act with a Natural Environment Bill and a Planning Bill.

Greenpeace campaigner Genevieve Toop says: "New Zealanders should never be expected to pay financial compensation to the very companies causing damage to their communities.

"Under this plan, New Zealanders would have to pay companies causing environmental harm to get them to stop. It flips the entire principle that polluters should pay on its head.

"In practice, this means that if regions like Gisborne want stronger rules to stop forestry slash destroying homes and rivers, ratepayers would likely be forced to pay offshore forestry companies 'compensation’. It’s absurd," Toop said

With the Government planning to cap council rates, Greenpeace is warning that most councils will be financially unable to introduce new protections - effectively blocking locally specific regulations to prevent environmental degradation, such as the nitrate contamination crisis.

The new bills also propose raising the threshold for what is considered environmental harm, restricting public notification of consents, and requiring submitters to reside in the relevant area, a move that would effectively shut national environmental NGOs out of the process.

"Land, water and wildlife are already under significant stress. We’ve got a nitrate contamination crisis in Canterbury, slash and erosion in Tairāwhiti, and native wildlife on the brink of extinction," says Toop.

"New Zealand urgently needs stronger environmental protections but what the government announced today is a blueprint for more pollution and more environmental damage.

"These reforms prioritise corporate property rights above the health of nature, lower the bar so companies can cause more harm and squeeze environmental groups out of the process."

Greenpeace is calling on the Government to completely remove all regulatory takings provisions from the RM replacement bills. Over the coming weeks, Greenpeace will be analysing both Bills and producing a full submission to the select committee.

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