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RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop
OPINION: Metaphorically, the funeral arrangements are being put in place to bury one of the largest and most complex pieces of legislation – the 34-year-old Resource Management Act (RMA).
It’s also likely that local government will get a makeover akin to what it got back in 1989.
These changes are profound and when finally in place will affect just about every New Zealander.
A few weeks ago, central government foreshadowed the RMA reforms with news that it was going to limit the scope and power of regional councils who until now have played a significant role in the environmental management space.
This is bit like what happened when Labour was in power in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Few doubt that reform is needed, but at the time there is reticence to unconditionally endorse the changes. As always, the devil is in the detail, and these reforms are no exception.
The high-level slogans, like simplifying the consenting process, cutting red tape, reducing duplication, and cutting the size of the local government bureaucracy, all seem to make perfect sense. But amongst all the hype there is a big but! Implementation.
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says this is what he’s most anxious about: will the ‘can’t do’, the petty, rulemaking, negative culture of many local council staff change? Will they carry on like a flock of Sir Humphries from the TV series Yes, Minister and find a way of not doing what central government wants them to do, or will they have a eureka moment and suddenly change? That is the worry of many farming leaders and why they are busy analysing the detail of the new bills line-by-line and preparing submissions on the local government reforms.
The carnival is far from over and unless there is committed change and a largely bipartisan political approach, the new reforms could end up just like the old RMA – a frustrating encumbrance on society.
OPINION: The release of the Natural Environment Bill and Planning Bill to replace the Resource Management Act is a red-letter day for the agricultural sector, kicking to touch the single biggest handbrake on agricultural productivity and rural economies – the much-hated RMA.
There was much theatre in the Beehive before the Government's new Resource Management Act (RMA) reform bills were introduced into Parliament last week.
One person intimately involved in the new legislation to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) is the outgoing chief executive of the Ministry for the Environment, James Palmer, who's also worked in local government.
Farmers appear to be cautiously welcoming the Government’s plan to reform local government, according to Ag First chief executive, James Allen.
OPINION: Your old mate welcomes the proposed changes to local government but notes it drew responses that ranged from the reasonable to the ridiculous, depending on what axe people had to grind.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.
Fears of a serious early drought in Hawke’s Bay have been allayed – for the moment at least.
