Heather du Plessis-Allan: The RMA change is good, but prepare for issues

Cast your mind back a couple of weeks to what the boss of Auckland Port Roger Gray said.

He told us New Zealand is a country that says 'no' so often, Miami cruise bosses he spoke to had taken to calling us 'No Zealand'.

Yesterday the Government unveiled its plan for how we stop that, which is a rewrite of the RMA because the RMA is part of the problem.

Perspective with Ryan Bridge: These RMA changes hit the nail on the head

These RMA changes hit the nail on the head by putting private property rights front and centre.

These rights are basically what keeps rich countries rich and their absence keeps poor countries poor.

David Round - Thoughts for our Time - Article 10

The English Civil Wars, which culminated in the beheading of the king on the 30th of January 1649, had been preceded by a long period of widespread discontent and growing public anger. Four years after coming to the throne, Charles had embarked on what his opponents called the ‘Eleven Years Tyranny’; eleven long years when the king did not once summon a parliament, and attempted to survive financially not by Parliamentary grants but by a variety of increasingly resented expedients ~ the sale of monopolies and honours, forced loans ~ and the king also had the ancient right to imprison without cause, which he imposed on those who did not care to lend him money ~ and the rigorous enforcement of ancient prerogatives, many of which, indeed, had long fallen into disuse and been half forgotten. Prominent among such prerogatives was the right to levy ‘Ship Money’. Originally coastal towns had been obliged to provide ships for the navy, but this had long been commuted to a monetary payment which the king could demand in time of war for the defence of the realm. Parliament alone, of course, had the right to impose new taxes and impositions on subjects, but it was perfectly lawful for the king to exercise rights he already possessed.

Zoran Rakovic: Te Tiriti Obligations Quietly Shifted Into the Backyards of Private Citizens

Opinion on why New Zealand’s Crown cannot legally transfer its Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations to private landowners under section 6 of the RMA.

Section 6 of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) purports to set out “matters of national importance” to which all persons exercising functions and powers under the Act must “recognise and provide for.” Among these are matters such as the preservation of the natural character of the coastal environment, the protection of outstanding natural features and landscapes, and the relationship of Māori and their culture and traditions with their ancestral lands, water, sites, wāhi tapu, and other taonga. Specifically, section 6(e) elevates Māori interests into a planning context that places regulatory burdens on private landowners through local council decisions made under the RMA. At first glance, this framework may appear as a principled reconciliation between land use regulation and the Crown’s Treaty obligations. 

Nick Clark: Moving in the right direction on RMA reform

Another step towards much-needed reform of New Zealand's resource management laws is underway, in the form of a Bill to restore balance and streamline processes.

The Resource Management Act (RMA) and associated regulations have become a serious handbrake on the economy. The primary sector has been impeded by onerous and often impractical regulations. Confidence among farmers and growers has been dire, impacting their prospects and those of the many businesses that buy from and sell to them.

Jeffrey McNeill: Resource management is always political

Resource management is always political – the Fast-track Approvals Bill is just honest about it

The government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill has been widely criticised for potentially handing too much power to three cabinet ministers, and raising the risk of conflicts of interest and political interference in environmental management.

Ironically, the bill also helps demonstrate why the original Resource Management Act (RMA) was always doomed to fail – and what its replacement will have to get right.