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EDS calls on Bluegreens to save the environment
Media Release: Environmental Defence Society calls
on Bluegreens to save the
environment
The
Environmental Defence Society has encouraged the Minister
for the Environment and the National Party’s Bluegreens
caucus to remove contentious proposals to change the
Resource Management Act.
“The discussion paper released last week has a number of proposals that are sensible and warrant support,” said EDS Chairman Gary Taylor, speaking to the Bluegreens Conference in Levin today (Saturday).
“But there are two big changes proposed that would lower environmental standards and give excessive powers to Ministers.
“Changes to the principles of the Act in sections 6 and 7 introduce economic development objectives alongside the environmental ones. This would change the RMA from an Act that enables development to one that promotes it. That is a step too far.
“The market should decide what development it favours and the RMA should assess its environmental effects.
“And proposals to give Ministers new powers to override council plans and insert their preferred outcomes directly into them are a step too far. It is reasonable for Ministers to set out national policy objectives but not to pick favourite developments and impose them on communities.
“My key message to the Bluegreens and to the government is that you can achieve improvements to the Act but please don’t go overboard and adopt extreme measures that go too far and will cause environmental harm,” Mr Taylor concluded.
The full speech is available here.
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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