Background
In February 2021, the Government announced that it would repeal and replace the RMA, based on the recommendations of the Resource Management Review Panel in their 2020 report to parliament.
The three proposed Acts are the:
• Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA), to protect and restore the environment while better enabling development, as the primary replacement for the RMA
• Strategic Planning Act (SPA), to help coordinate and integrate decisions made under relevant legislation, through requiring the development of long-term regional spatial strategies; and
• Climate Adaptation Act (CAA), to address complex issues associated with managed retreat.
UDF activities pre-exposure draft
Since March 2021, UDF has been checking in with its members through the well-functioning environment workshops, to be able to respond in a meaningful way, to an anticipated exposure draft expected mid-year.
Exposure draft is out
Last week, the exposure draft for the NBA was released, on 29 June, through a parliamentary paper.
The exposure draft for the NBA includes:
- the purpose of the NBA (including Te Tiriti o Waitangi clause) and related provisions
- the National Planning Framework
- Natural and Built Environments plans.
Submissions due by 4 August
We have until 4 August to make a public submission. Â The exposure draft is the first of two opportunities for people to give feedback on the reforms.
UDF’s RM Reform sub-committee is currently working through a submission for the inquiry on the Natural and Built Environments Bill as well as making contact with other professional bodies for collaboration on key points.
UDF submission preparation
We would like to invite interested members who may be submission word-smiths, blog writers, community engagers or policy experts et.al. to make contact with the sub-committee. The sub-committee is chaired by Ekin Sakin, with UDF member and ex-UDF national chair Graeme Scott as the spokesperson. The sub-committee currently has UDF members from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
UDF will be sharing key points this month to facilitate individual and potentially joint submissions.
For more on the reform
Ministry for the Environment’s Overview of the resource management reforms page including a couple of helpful infographics are here
https://environment.govt.nz/what-government-is-doing/key-initiatives/resource-management-system-reform/overview/
I’m looking forward to other blogs on the RMA reform. I hope other UDF members will be able to add their voice to this reform.