Andi Cocroft: Forestry Slash: Who Should Set the Rules?

The Government’s decision to halt Gisborne District Council’s proposed forestry slash rules has reignited an important debate about environmental management in New Zealand. Local environmental groups have described the decision as indefensible, while the Government argues that national resource management reforms should provide a consistent framework across the country. Beneath the political debate lies a broader question: who is best placed to set environmental rules when local conditions differ so dramatically?