National forced into RMA rethink
‘There must be something more to this we are not hearing about.’
THE Government is ‘‘ripping up’’ proposed changes to key sections of environmental planning law after the Northland by-election robbed it of a majority on the issues.
With only ACT’s support assured, National has just 60 votes in the 121-seat House for its most contentious reforms of the Resource Management Act (RMA).
Prime Minister John Key conceded yesterday that on changes to the RMA’s principles, enshrined in sections 6 and 7, ‘‘there’s just no question that you’ve got to rip up what we’ve got now, go back to the drawing board and have another go’’.
It is understood the Government will turn first to UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne for talks on a possible new deal.
But Dunne is digging in his heels on changes to the core principles, which he had earlier described as a full-scale assault on the RMA.
He said the Government should focus on streamlining and procedural changes, such as those to speed up consents, where it had broad support.
He was not in favour of any significant changes to the principles in sections 6 and 7.
The Government in the past has indicated reforms would give more weight to economic and social activities alongside environmental matters.
‘‘If you start from the presumption that the RMA was about setting an environmental template against which sustainable development can occur, then the last thing you do is . . . rejig the template,’’ Dunne said.
However, he was happy in the wake of the Christchurch earthquakes to include the mitigation of natural hazards, such as quakes, floods, landslides and volcanoes, to the key sections – but nothing beyond that.
He suspected the Government had used its push for more affordable housing as a smokescreen for other plans.
‘‘There must be something more to this we are not hearing about.’’
Peter Dunne
He had not seen any specific amendments since Environment Minister Nick Smith outlined his plans in January, so it was hard to say whether he disagreed until he saw the detail.
Before Saturday’s by-election, Smith said officials were still working though the proposals and the bill had not been drafted yet.
Labour’s environment spokeswoman, Megan Woods, said its bottom line was there should be no ‘‘gutting of the fundamental principles of the RMA’’, which protected ordinary people’s enjoyment of their property and their environment.
Dunne said that while NZ First leader Winston Peters’ win in the by-election may have changed the numbers on some bills, the Government still had a comfortable majority on key confidence and supply votes.
‘‘Nothing’s changed in that sense. NZ First is still irrelevant.’’
Key said the Government was ‘‘effectively back to where we were in the 2011 to 2014 situation where to pass anything we need ACT and UnitedFuture and possibly the Maori Party and then any other party that might join us’’.
Dunne said he now had ‘‘one vote more leverage’’ than he had before and in broad terms the Government could not now pass ‘‘Right-wing’’ law changes.
‘‘Hardline ideologically based legislation now becomes more difficult but then I think a lot of that was probably in ACT’s imagination than reality anyway.’’
Editorial