Government halts RMA planning work in major win for farmers

Minister for RMA Reform Chris Bishop says rather than let "these pricey, pointless planning and policy" processes play out, the Government will be giving councils clarity on where to focus their efforts while they await the new planning system.

"The Government will suspend councils' mandatory RMA requirements to undertake plan and regional policy statement reviews every ten years, and the requirement to implement national planning standards. We will also extend the restriction on notifying freshwater planning instruments which we put in place last year," he says.

"The Resource Management Act (RMA) has crippled New Zealand for decades, and the Government's planning system reforms are well underway to make it easier to get things done in New Zealand," Bishop says.

"We've already made a series of quick and targeted amendments to provide relief to our primary sector and passed the Fast-track Approvals Act to speed up the consenting process for projects with regional or national significant benefits.

"We've also opened consultation on sweeping changes to the regulations that sit under the RMA, and next month our second RMA Amendment Bill is expected to pass into law which will make important changes in the short-term to make it quicker and simpler to consent renewable energy, boost housing supply, and reduce red tape for the primary sector."

Later this year, the Government will introduce two new Acts to completely replace the RMA - one Act to focus on land-use planning and the second to focus on the natural environment. The new system will provide a framework that makes it easier to plan and deliver infrastructure as well as protect the environment.

Federated Farmers RMA reform spokesperson Mark Hooper says councils across New Zealand have been continuing to push ahead with new district plans that put farms under restrictive overlays, such as Outstanding Natural Landscapes and Significant Natural Areas.

"This is despite the fact any plan changes may only have a shelf life of months, given the Government intends to pass a new Resource Management Act next year.

"It's a huge waste of time - and ratepayers' money."

Under the Government directive, councils will be required to withdraw plan reviews and changes that have not started hearings as soon as possible and within 90 days of the law coming into effect. Any rules that have immediate legal effect will continue to apply until the plan review or plan change is withdrawn by councils and then those rules will no longer apply.

"We will also stop new plan changes and reviews from being notified, except where there is good reason for them to continue," says Bishop.

"This decision has been made after careful consideration, and a recommendation from an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) that the Government relieve some of the workload of councils in the lead up to the new resource management system.

"The Government's intention is that stopping plan requirements for councils will enable them to focus on critical work to prepare to transition to the new system."

Hooper says farmers are welcoming the Government's decision as it will stop councils from rushing through new restrictive plan changes.

"We trust a new RMA, based on property rights, won't allow councils to take basic property rights away from farmers in the form of restrictive overlays. Halting plan changes now avoids councils rushing to put in new red tape before a new RMA is in place."