Govt urged to abandon RMA plans

Forest & Bird says Environment Minister Amy Adams must abandon her plans to gut the core of the Resource Management Act, now that the Maori and United Future parties have pledged not to support her changes through the house.

The two parties made their announcement at a news conference this morning.

“Ms Adams’ proposed changes would have cost the environment by attacking the RMA’s core emphasis on sustainability. But it would also have created a high degree of uncertainty for developers,” says Forest & Bird Advocacy Manager Kevin Hackwell.

“That succeeded only in politicising the reforms. This has been shown by the fact that National’s coalition partners have gone their own way on the issue.

“The unfortunate politicisation of the Act is also reflected in the pledge by the Labour and Green parties to reverse the changes, if they form a government after the next election,” says Kevin Hackwell.

“The Resource Management Act is a vital piece of legislation. It needs cross-party political support.

“New Zealanders consider the RMA to be crucial to protecting our unique plants and animals, and the landscapes that make New Zealand such a special place. That’s why many thousands of people made submissions opposing the reforms. The government must take heed and give up on making these changes now,” says Kevin Hackwell.
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