NZCPR: Tinkering Wth the RMA

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we look at the Government’s Resource Management Act reforms and the disastrous new concessions Nick Smith has made to the Maori Party that could result in iwi control of the resource consenting process, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Sir Bob Jones describes the fiasco of having to consult multiple iwi over a resource consent and calls it a ‘racket’, and our poll asks whether it’s time for Nick Smith to be removed as Minister in charge of RMA reforms. 

Two weeks ago, Minister Nick Smith announced that he’d done a deal with the Maori Party to include Mana Whakahono a Rohe in the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill. Yet the public have not had a chance to make submissions on this radical race-based provision. If you believe this is anti-democratic, then we would urge you to contact the Members of the Local Government and Environment Select Committee, who are now in charge of the Bill, and ask them to invite submissions on the new changes the Minister has introduced into the Bill. The Members of the Select Committee are Sarah Dowie (National), Matt Doocey (National), Paul Foster-Bell (National), Joanne Hayes (National), Nuk Korako (National), Ron Mark (NZ First), Mojo Mathers (Greens), David Parker (Labour), Eugenie Sage (Greens), Scott Simpson (National), Meka Whaitiri (Labour) – all MP email addresses can be found on our Parliament page. 

Last week, our article Food Regulations Under Review, outlined how the Government’s new food bill is stifling innovation and crippling small business. If you believe the new food safety laws are too bureaucratic, please don’t forget that to make a submission to the Review that is presently underway by 5pm December 5th – full details can be found on the website of the Ministry for Primary Industries – or you can email your views directly to foodregulations@mpi.govt.nz

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