Federated Farmers has welcomed new legislation to replace the Resource Management Act, which it says will cut red tape, unlock investment and help grow New Zealand’s export-led economy.
The Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bills passed their third reading in Parliament yesterday.
Federated Farmers RMA reform spokesperson, Mark Hooper says the new legislation was a huge milestone for farmers and the nation.
“We’ve been pushing hard for RMA reform because the status quo has simply not been good enough,” said Mr Hooper.
“The RMA has been around for more than 30 years, increasingly making it harder and more expensive for productive Kiwis to get on with doing things to grow our economy.
“Farmers have spent far too much time and money navigating a system that’s been unnecessarily complex, expensive and uncertain for even the most basic everyday activities, like building a new shed or water storage.
“Meanwhile, councils and communities have also been left dealing with endless layers of bureaucratic planning rules and processes.
“This marks the end of that era and the beginning of an opportunity to do things differently.”
He said Federated Farmers had repeatedly called for the Government to get RMA reform across the line before the November election.
“We’ve been clear that getting this legislation passed before the election was important, and the Government has delivered on that.”
“Now we have a clean slate and the chance to build a planning system that’s simpler, more predictable and focused on getting good outcomes rather than generating more needless red tape.
“These two new laws mark a fundamental shift in the way New Zealand manages its natural resources.
“Finally, we can restore some commonsense to the whole system and make it easier to farmers – and all New Zealanders – to get things done.”
Mr Hooper says a better resource management system is important for New Zealand’s ability to grow and invest.
“Farmers need to be able to make long-term decisions about their businesses without constantly wondering what the next planning rule, consent requirement or council process is going to mean for them.”
“That matters when you’re deciding whether to invest in new infrastructure, improve environmental outcomes, expand production, develop irrigation or make other long-term investments in your farm.
“More broadly, New Zealand needs to build houses, infrastructure and businesses, generate energy and grow our productive economy.
“A planning system that adds unnecessary delays, cost and uncertainty makes all of that so much harder than it needs to be.”
Mr Hooper says the focus should now turn to making sure the new system works as intended.
“We’ll be watching that closely and continuing to advocate for a system that delivers certainty for farmers while achieving the environmental outcomes New Zealand needs,” he said.
“There’s a way to go before the system is up and running, but there are things the Government could do to speed up the benefits of these reforms.
“For example, they could pick up Federated Farmers’ request for 10 new national standards to make basic farming activities permitted activities.”
