Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
The Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, introduced in June, is part of these changes.
The Bill proposes to change or remove consent requirements for some activities.
These include requirements for consents for intensive winter grazing, coal mining, and stock exclusion as set out in the National Environmental Standard for Freshwater and Stock Exclusion Regulations.
As a regional council, processing resource consents is a key part of our work.
In fact, we process and hold the most resource consents of any regional council in the country – over 27,000.
Some of the changes being proposed may have a considerable impact on the way we operate – and on the Waitaha/Canterbury landscape in general.
We’ve welcomed the opportunity to provide feedback through a written submission and I also spoke at Select Committee hearings on 9 July.
Our overarching view is that while cutting red tape in some areas does have merit, the benefits of targeted and proportionate regulation must not be overlooked.
Potential opportunities – and pitfalls
I firmly believe that a healthy environment, thriving economic activity, resilient communities and effective regulation must co-exist.
I also believe that while RMA changes are important, we don’t have to start from scratch.
Many years of work went into the Natural and Built Environment Act 2023, which was repealed in December. There were some good things in there.
For example, the RMA definition of river ‘bed’ was amended to better reflect Waitaha’s braided river systems – providing a new starting point for this.
There was also a strong focus on delivering improved outcomes as well as managing the effects of an activity. I think this approach is worth keeping.
But there is still room for improvement.
Our submission
As our submission notes, some proposals will help reduce the ‘regulatory burden’ – which is the overall aim of the Bill – but other changes are needed to achieve this.
Key points of our submission include:
- Removing duplication between central government regulations and regional council plans and rules. Frameworks developed in Waitaha have often provided the template for central government approaches, resulting in duplication for marginal environmental benefit.
- Policy proposals should have input from regional councils. We understand what’s important to their communities and know what it takes to make policy work on-the-ground.
- Better value for money could be achieved through investing funds and resource into established council programmes, such as helping us build on our Farm Environment Plans, rather than replicating these with national systems.
- The fundamental concept and principles of Te Mana o te Wai (recognising the vital importance of water) remain sound, even though the concept has evolved over time. We are committed to working with mana whenua and alongside communities on this.
Read our full submission: Canterbury Regional Council submission – Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill (PDF file, 539.16KB)
Ensuring our people and environment thrive
I think most people would agree that removing ineffective layers of regulation makes sense from an environmental, social, cultural and economic standpoint.
However, for our whole community, targeted regulation acts as an important check and balance – ensuring we are looking after our taiao and that our natural resources remain healthy for current and future generations.
I think, if we get the balance right, we can ensure that both people and our environment can thrive into the future.
Toitu te marae a Tane
Toitu te marae a Tangaroa
Toitu te iwi.
Let’s not waste this opportunity.
