Parties must stand up and be counted on RMA

Parties must stand up and be counted on RMA

In the election campaign period all political parties should be clear about what they would do about the Resource Management Act, says BusinessNZ.

The Government has shelved its reform plans for the RMA as it cannot get the votes of United Future and the Maori Party to fix some of the anti-development provisions of the legislation.

This means the legislation, despite numerous amendments by different governments, is still blocking development and jobs, says BusinessNZ Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly.

“For years our surveys have shown the depth of the problems faced by business.

“The reforms that had been proposed by the Government would have gone a significant way towards fixing the current pathology of the RMA which sees positive development deferred or bogged down in litigation, cost and uncertainty - and helping to achieve better decision-making on resource use.

“New Zealanders need to know which parties would support a fundamental first-principles review of resource management law. If it is politically impossible to fix what is wrong with the RMA, then it is probably time to start again.”

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