Select committee reports back on Resource Management Act Bill

“This legislation improves New Zealand’s environmental management, helps increase the supply and affordability of housing and supports jobs and growth. It contains 40 proposals that make significant changes to five different Acts and is the most comprehensive package of reform to the Resource Management Act since its inception 25 years ago,” Dr Smith says.

This is the second phase of the Government’s resource management reforms, and the dozen significant provisions in the Bill include:

• National planning standards to reduce complexity and cost

• Streamlined planning process to improve responsiveness

• Discretion for councils to exempt an activity from consents

• Strengthening of requirements to manage natural hazard risks

• New 10-day consent category for minor activities

• New requirements for council to free up land for housing

• New provisions to enable stock exclusion from waterways

• New provisions requiring decommissioning plans for offshore platforms

• More generous compensation for land required for public works

• Better alignment with other Acts like Reserves, Conservation and EEZ

• Collaborative planning process to encourage community-led solutions

• Improved Maori participation arrangements

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