The UDF is re-starting the Resource Management Reform working group. Would you like to be a part of it?

The purpose of the working group is to discuss and agree the UDF’s key points in response to the current government’s Resource Management reform plans.

If you have well-formed thoughts and/or analysis of the recent government announcements and proposals from an urban design angle, we’d love to hear from you even if you can’t commit to regular attendance to the working group.

The commitment required for the working group is fortnightly attendance to one hour facilitated sessions. These will form the basis of submissions when formal proposals are circulated for consultation.

We plan to convene meetings before the end of the month, possibly commencing with a preliminary meeting as soon as next week. The most suitable day of the week will be agreed once the group is set up. A timeline of meetings and outputs to match reform key dates will be discussed at the first meeting.

Please express your interest, along with an indication of meeting time preferences, to manager@urbandesignforum.org.nz by Monday 19 May.

__________

BACKGROUND

The previous working group prepared the UDF submissions on the RM Reform cabinet paper, the exposure draft, the proposed NBA and the proposed Spatial Plan Bills as well as the MDRS bill. Blog posts on recent submission key points are available on the UDF Aotearoa website here and as another reference point the UDF’s wider Submissions archive can be viewed here.

An update on RM Reform and its Expert Advisory Group blueprint was delivered at the NZ Planning Institute conference on 28 March by controlling Minister Chris Bishop, but there has been very little new information since.

Good starting points for information include:

The Ministry for the Environment – here and here.
A media release by the NZILA here.
Reports prepared by the EDS (Environmental Defence Society) here and a subsequent media release.

And a sample list of law firm summary responses in March: