Fish & Game calls for open and honest discussion on RMA

Fish & Game is calling on the government to have an “open and honest” discussion with all New Zealand about the future of the Resource Management Act, after the Prime Minister announced the government was abandoning its original plans for significant change.

The Prime Minister’s move follows National’s by-election loss of its formally safe Northland seat to New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. The loss means National no longer has a guaranteed majority in Parliament and can’t force through its contentious original changes to the RMA.

Fish & Game Chief Executive Bryce Johnson said John Key’s decision is a reprieve for the environment.

“The Resource Management Act is the cornerstone of this country’s environmental protection and the changes National was proposing would ultimately have been a disaster for our wild places,” Mr Johnson said.

“The Prime Minister’s decision provides an ideal opportunity to defuse what was becoming a polarised debate. The way is now clear for the government to have an open and honest discussion with the wider public on the justification for changing the RMA.”

Mr Johnson said as part of that discussion, the government needs to better define what the actual problems are with the existing law.

“When the government renewed its push to change the RMA earlier this year, it said it was to help build more houses, particularly in Auckland. I can’t see how weakening protection for forests, waterways and coastal areas would have helped build an apartment in Auckland.”

“Most importantly, the government needs to break down what it perceives as problems with the present RMA into those which affect urban areas like Auckland and especially those affecting rural areas.”

“All the ministerial rhetoric has been about urban problems but there is wide suspicion that this is just a Trojan Horse to remove environmental protections to suit rural interests,” he said.

Mr Johnson said the government also needs to consider what significant changes would mean for existing RMA case law.

“The government should be trying to preserve decades of existing environmental case law around the RMA, otherwise the courts will be clogged with cases being brought to try and work out what the new law means. This would be a waste of valuable court time and resources and actually slow down, not sped up approval processes.”

Bryce Johnson said the challenge the government now faces is to include the whole country in its plans.

“New Zealanders don’t like having something they treasure, taken away from them. People value the environment highly and want it protected, not exploited,” he said.

Bryce Johnson called on the government to release a draft of the proposed RMA amendment bill.

“That way, everyone can see what is being proposed. It is far better to have a properly informed public debate about the issues early on, than inflame and entrench attitudes by trying to do things in secret. That will just slow a bill’s process through parliament.”

“Fish & Game welcomes any discussion on environmental laws that will help better protect what we hold dear,” Mr Johnson said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media