Latest news with #ResourceManagement
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Farmers hail end of 'unworkable' RMA, Greens say changes dismantle protections
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says the proposed changes are complex and technical but have a big impact on the economy. Photo: VNP/Louis Collins The government's proposed Resource Management Act changes have been met with jubilation from some quarters, and dismay from others. Public consultation has opened on a suite of different national directions across infrastructure, primary sector development, and freshwater. Announcing the proposals, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop described National Policy Statements as "the meat on the bones" of the RMA. "The changes are technical and complex, but they do have a big impact on the economy," he said. The changes would all sit under the RMA as it currently stands. The government was aiming to replace the Act next year. But it was confident these changes, despite their technical and complicated nature, would be able to transition into the new system. The proposed reforms were designed to be more practical and regionally-adaptable. The government's proposed replacing the NPS for Freshwater Management entirely, and "rebalancing" Te Mana o te Wai. The government wants to replace the Resource Management Act next year. Photo: Bill McKay It is a concept that puts the mauri of the water first, but the government said a rebalance towards all water users would give councils more flexibility in how they manage freshwater, and tailor monitoring and management to local conditions. Agriculture minister Todd McClay said councils had become frustrated by "burdensome" processes they had to go through, but working together would lead to better outcomes for freshwater and for productivity. Farmers were onboard, but environmentalists were concerned it could be an open invite to pollution. Federated Farmers welcomed the proposals, saying the previous government's freshwater rules were "completely unworkable" for farmers. Vice president and freshwater spokesperson Colin Hurst said councils were unclear on how they should interpret Te Mana o Te Wai. "It's very hard to work out exactly what that meant, certainly from the wider communities around the country," he said. Hurst said Federated Farmers was still digesting the proposals, but said it was important to strike a balance between water quality and economic activity. "We're looking forward to having a system that's more enabling, but still have a framework of the rules set up, a sort of national standard that if you meet the standard you should be able to carry on farming, but still conscious we're not degrading the environment and that kind of thing." Freshwater expert Dr Mike Joy said the consenting changes felt like half a lifetime's amount of work thrown out overnight. He said freshwater was getting worse and worse, but Te Mana o Te Wai - a key part of the 2020 National Policy Statement - was about putting freshwater ahead of big business. "It's basically being thrown out along with the rest of the protections in the Resource Management Act. "Most of our lowland rivers are not swimmable or fishable anymore" he said, and "things are going to get worse". He said the changes would not be friendly to farmers, and would instead make them "pariahs" for environmental failures. Dr Mike Joy is particularly alarmed at one proposed change in the RMA. Photo: supplied Joy was particularly alarmed at a change that would remove restrictions on non-intensive wetland grazing. "If you think of it as a human analogy, it's like we've lost 90 percent of our kidneys, and then we've only got 10 percent left, and then they want to destroy them by allowing cattle grazing on it. "If you think of it from a human health perspective, we would know that it's suicidal to do that." Tasman's mayor said the proposed RMA changes would take time to digest, but it was good the detail could now be debated. Tim King said people could now take a look, determine what their view was, and provide feedback. "People just want to understand what it is they can do and the process they go through for that what they can't do. And if this brings more clarity to people, then that'd be a good thing," he said. King believed people would welcome the simplicity, given the system had become "very complex and tends to require the use of consultants". He said councils would have to work under whatever "national direction" was decided, but could be the connection between that and the local communities. "We may well be the connection between the community, whether that's farmers, other landowners, the community in general, between these suggested changes and actually implementing them on the ground. "So obviously, we're going to have a really key focus on how that part of it might work." The Green Party, meanwhile, was angry and disheartened. Its environment spokesperson Lan Pham said it was a "comprehensive dismantling" of major protections that were in place. "It feels like we've been working for decades, literally, to get some basic functional environmental protections in place, and now this government is announcing these sweeping changes, which are essentially this comprehensive dismantling of these very meagre protections that we even had in place." Green Party environment spokesperson Lan Pham. Photo: RNZ / Conan Young She said the concerning thing about the changes was they touched on "every single environmental domain". "Everything from our forests to our fresh water to our oceans. "The power of the national direction is that it can basically enable this wholesale pollution, wholesale degradation, wholesale exploitation under the guise of growth, which this government is entirely blinkered in their thinking, and it's all for a quick buck." She said the current and future generations would be the ones who "pay the price" of this "environmental degradation and exploitation". Labour's environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said the government was undoing all the work Labour did to ensure rivers were clean enough to swim in. "Labour had a goal of swimmable rivers within a generation to deal with pollution, so that your kids and grandkids wouldn't get sick just from going swimming," she said. "National seem determined to allow polluters to profit from our environment while also destroying it." Brooking did however say it was good the community would get to have a say, unlike with projects approved by fast-track legislation. Coalition partner ACT wants Te Mana o te Wai and national bottom lines scrapped entirely, leaving regional councils free to set their own standards. Rebalancing Te Mana o te Wai is a coalition commitment, but ACT leader David Seymour said consultation would be a chance for those who want to get rid of it altogether to have their say. "This is an opportunity for people who basically think Te Mana o Te Wai is nonsensical, it's vague, it really stops ironically people from building their mana, from using the land in a responsible way to grow our prosperity as a country. "We believe it's time for such a concept to be dumped." There were also proposals to amend provisions to allow for wetland quarrying and mining provisions. Essentially, in order to build and maintain infrastructure, the government wants quarries and mines but the RMA had made consenting the projects too difficult. Aggregate and Quarry association CEO Wayne Scott said the National Policy Statements for Indigenous Biodiversity and for Highly Productive Land used terms like "aggregate extraction," which were undefined, as opposed to "quarrying activities," which was the National Planning Standards definition for what they do. "The difference is that aggregate extraction is just actually extracting material out of the ground. It doesn't take any other ancillary activities that are associated with quarrying," he said. "So we've seen that resource consent applications have been unable to be lodged because the activity was more than just extracting aggregate. "So that change is going to be quite significant." He also pointed to "some superfluous words" used in the land NPS that said the exemption did not apply if it could be otherwise sourced in New Zealand. "We're not quite sure what those words meant, but the interpretation was that if you can source it elsewhere, then the development can't proceed, and that has stifled a number of core applications around the country." Scott said it was important to have aggregate sources close to the market, but said they do not "just pop quarries anywhere for the sake of it" and there would only be quarries where there was demand. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
7 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Govt launches Resource Management consultation
The government is billing its Resource Management consultation as the country's biggest ever change to national direction. It comes hot on the heels of the fast track changes and leading up the full RMA replacement due next year. Announcements were released under six ministers' names on everything from housing to mining to agriculture - and some of it's got environmental groups up in arms. Political reporter Russell Palmer has more.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Mohali DC pulls up agency over fire at Sec 91 legacy waste dump
1 2 Mohali: Mohali deputy commissioner Komal Mittal during a surprise inspection found found Sector 91 Legacy Waste Dump site on fire and strongly reprimanded the operating agency for negligence. She directed the officials to install windrows enabling Methane to escape out of waste dump preventing fire. She visited Sector 91 Legacy Waste Dump and the Jagatpura Waste Processing Plant on Thursday to review the progress of waste management initiatives spearheaded by the Mohali municipal corporation. The DC took serious note of the agency's failure to install windrows—crucial for controlling methane emissions—which she said directly contributed to the fire. "If windrows are not constructed, there is no point in clearing the waste. Fire leads to serious pollution, defeating the purpose of our waste remediation efforts," she warned. Providing further details, Mittal said the legacy dump in Sector 91 contains approximately 90,000 metric tonnes (MT) of accumulated waste. With four trommel machines currently in operation, around 600 MT of waste is being processed daily, and the site is expected to be cleared within four months. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Addressing the broader issue of waste management, the DC underscored the critical role of waste segregation. "Effective segregation of wet and dry waste at the source is the cornerstone of a clean and sustainable city," she said. She called on resident welfare associations (RWAs), bulk waste generators, and the general public to participate actively in ensuring proper waste disposal. Mittal directed the municipal corporation to verify that household waste is segregated before it reaches the Resource Management Centres (RMCs). This, she explained, would enhance processing efficiency and reduce the burden on the city's waste infrastructure. At the Jagatpura waste processing plant, the DC reviewed treatment protocols and interacted with contractors and municipal staff. Expressing satisfaction with the progress, she reaffirmed the administration's commitment to building a cleaner, greener Mohali. Municipal officials briefed the DC about the current waste management framework. Waste from most RMCs, except Shahi Majra, is being transported to a facility in Ambala. However, once fully operational, the Shahi Majra and Jagatpura plants—both managed by the same contractor—will handle the entire daily load of 100 MT of fresh waste generated in Mohali. DC Mittal also called for the optimal use of bailing machines at the RMCs. Officials informed her that 10 out of 14 machines are currently functional, and the remaining four will be installed at key locations by next week. The visit concluded with a strong message from the Deputy Commissioner, urging all stakeholders to prioritise environmental responsibility and work collaboratively to transform Mohali into a model city for sustainable waste management. MSID:: 121344000 413 |
NZ Herald
24-04-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Cement company's opposition to Hikurangi subdivision resolved out of court
Such complaints could hinder operations and future expansion of the quarry, which was a crucial source of limestone for its cement production, Golden Bay said. At mediation in February, Golden Bay and Hika representatives reached an agreement to accept the developer's earlier offer to make provision for various covenants, including a no-complaints (reverse sensitivity) one. The mediated agreement has since been considered and approved by Environment Court Judge Jeff Smith, who recently released details of it. Under the no-complaints (reverse sensitivity) covenant, anyone occupying or using the subdivision will be prohibited from complaining – directly or indirectly – about Wilsonville Quarry's approved operations. Judge Smith said he was satisfied the agreement was an appropriate response to Golden Bay's concerns. 'The agreement recognises the long-standing residential zoning of the land, in proximity to a Quarrying Resource Area and Mining Area, and the potential for effects on both the residential development and Wilsonville Quarry.' He said the no-complaints covenant would not have been the court's preferred way of resolving the dispute. However, because it was not the main solution agreed, he would allow it. The arrangement also included Hika agreeing to reduce the number of housing lots in the subdivision from 51 to 44 so a buffer zone could be extended between the subdivision and quarry, and to retain some natural land formations that would also have a buffering effect. 'The parties have taken a balanced approach in agreeing on changes to the [resource management] consent. Overall, I consider that the sustainable management purpose and the other relevant requirements of the [Resource Management] Act are broadly met', Judge Smith said. The cement company did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for Hika said he was pleased with the outcome of the mediation. While still an expensive process, it had saved both parties the need to go through more complex and time-consuming court proceedings. Hika has been developing land in Northland since the early 2000s. It was hoped economic conditions would be positive enough to begin earthworks at Hikurangi this October, the company said. The subdivision would provide affordable housing options that were badly needed and would complement one already being built by the He Puna Marama Trust to the south of the site. The agreed buffer zone to the north would extend one that already existed near Cinder Way and would be planted in native trees, creating a park-like area that would not only be an amenity for subdivision residents but also for the wider community, the company said. There would be a similar boundary of native trees alongside the border with State Highway 1 to visually enhance the area and to reduce traffic noise. Each new lot will be connected to the existing WDC water main and reticulated wastewater network. The main internal access will be via a new public road intersecting Boundary Rd. Right-turn bays will be added to SH1 at Cinder Way and King St, with approval from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
Zawya
29-01-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Bahrain: BAS upgrades airport ground operations with SITA's RMS
Bahrain Airport Services (BAS) has implemented SITA's advanced Resource Management System (RMS) to optimise ground operations at Bahrain International Airport. The RMS enhances workforce allocation, equipment utilisation, and provides real-time operational insights, improving efficiency and the passenger experience. 'This system marks a significant step towards providing travellers with a seamless and comfortable experience,' said BAS chief human resources officer Hana Abdulwahid. SITA president for the Middle East and Africa Selim Bouri said: 'With travel in the region on the upswing, this technology equips BAS with cutting-edge capabilities to support streamlined operations and elevate the travel experience for passengers.' Copyright 2022 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
