Government Plans to Scrap 30-year-old Resource Management Act – How Will This Affect Heritage?

The government will scrap the Resource Management Act (RMA) and replace it with three new pieces of legislation.

Environment Minister David Parker ordered a review last term saying the 30 year old law was “too costly, takes too long, and has not adequately protected the environment”.

The plan announced today is broadly in line with the findings of the independent review panel, led by retired Court of Appeal Judge Tony Randerson QC, which recommended a “completely different approach, while also incorporating some of the key principles of the previous legislation”.

The three new Acts will be:

• Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA) to provide for land use and environmental regulation,
• Strategic Planning Act (SPA) to integrate with other legislation relevant to development, and require long-term regional spatial strategies,
• Climate Change Adaptation Act (CAA) to address complex issues associated with managed retreat and funding and financing adaptation.

The Natural and Built Environments Act will be progressed first and a special select committee inquiry will consider a draft version from mid-year. This will include the “most important elements of the legislation”, including the replacement of Part 2 of the RMA, Parker said.

Read on…

WHERE DOES HERITAGE FIT IN THE NEW PROPOSED SCENARIO ?

Resident’s association head afraid of RMA changes