Source: New Zealand Government
The Government is taking action to address the country’s infrastructure deficit and energy shortage through a series of important changes to national direction under the RMA, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Energy Minister Simon Watts.
National direction refers to rules and policies sitting under the Resource Management Act (RMA) that inform how councils develop and implement local plans and rules.
The Government is today releasing three discussion documents proposing amendments to twelve different instruments and the introduction of four new instruments, centred on three packages: infrastructure and development, the primary sector and freshwater.
“The RMA is a direct contributor to New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit. It drives up costs, slows projects down, and has become a complicated nightmare for councils and applicants alike”, says Mr Bishop.
“Sorting out our planning rules is critical to boosting economic growth and improving living standards.
“In our first year in office, we repealed Labour’s botched RMA reforms and made a series of quick and targeted amendments to remove unnecessary regulations for primary industries as well as barriers to investment in development and infrastructure.
“We also passed the Fast-track Approvals Act to make it much easier to deliver infrastructure and other development projects with significant regional or national benefits. The first projects are already going through the fast-track process.
“Next year we’ll replace the RMA with new legislation premised on property rights. Our new system will provide a framework that makes it easier to plan and deliver infrastructure and energy projects, as well as protecting the environment.
“In the meantime, we’re making targeted, quick changes through our second RMA Amendment Bill which is expected back from the Environment Committee next month, and these changes to national direction.
“We’re proposing a new National Policy Statement for Infrastructure to send a clear message that infrastructure is critical to our prosperity, and to prioritise existing and new infrastructure in resource consent processes.
“We’re also proposing a strengthened National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation. The current NPS was drafted in 2011 and is far too vague and woolly. Decision-makers need clear guidance that renewable energy is vital to our prosperity. We need billions of dollars of investment in the coming years in renewable energy supply but it’s too hard to consent renewable energy projects”.
“This Government is committed to unleashing transmission and distribution infrastructure on our mission to electrify the New Zealand economy,” Mr Watts says.
“We know the energy system is facing complex challenges right now. The security and reliability of our electricity supply depend on bringing new generation online and strengthening our network infrastructure.
“Right now, New Zealand’s energy infrastructure is vulnerable to severe weather events and seasonal shortages. By changing the electricity generation and transmission national direction, we can improve both energy security and affordability, while helping us achieve our goal of doubling renewable energy by 2050. The changes will also support the country’s existing renewable energy assets, including lines networks.”
“The current environmental standards around telecommunication facilities were drafted in 2016 and are now very out of date. Changes to the standards will update rules around poles and other infrastructure and create a more efficient consenting environment”, Mr Bishop says.
“Cabinet has also agreed to progress new national direction for Natural Hazards. The aim for the new National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards is to make straightforward changes that will have an immediate effect on consenting as well as align with the new resource management system.”
“We want councils to make better choices about where and how people can build so that new development is more resilient to severe weather events. Further direction to councils around how to identify, assess and respond to risks from natural hazards can be provided as part of the next stage of resource management reform”.
Consultation on these proposals will remain open until 27 July 2025. The Government intends to have 16 new or updated national direction instruments in place by the end of this year.
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Note to editor:
Fact sheet attached.
Infrastructure and development is one of three national direction packages released today as part of the Government’s wider reform of the resource management system. The other two packages cover changes for the primary sector and freshwater management.
Visit the MfE website [https://environment.govt.nz/news/consultation-on-updating-rma-national-direction] to take part in the consultation.
