Latest news with #ResourceManagement(ConsentingandOtherSystemChanges)AmendmentBill
Otago Daily Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Amend away, amend away
Dunedin Labour MP Rachel Brooking has run a few marathons in her time, and she put in another long-distance effort in the House this week. She wasn't keeping count, but by my tally she delivered 31 speeches this week — and it would have been 32 but for her having to leave for the airport on Thursday afternoon to catch the last convenient flight home. As would be expected, it was the Resource Management Act which dominated Brooking's week, although she also found the time to delve into the inner workings of the Local Government (Water Services) Bill, and the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill as well. It was the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill which kept Brooking going for most of the week though. The relevant minister, Chris Bishop, has been labouring with a heavy cold all week and his heart must have sunk as Brooking — armed with pens, post-it notes and slabs of drafts and amendment papers — rose to her feet on Tuesday afternoon. Parliament is blessed with many MPs who can pick the minutest bone with any word or sentence — the Greens' Lawrence Xu-Nan and Bishop himself when in Opposition spring to mind — but few are as forensic and diligent as Brooking when it comes to working through clauses and sub-clauses. And she had plenty of material, the minister having just that morning tabled a substantial amendment paper. So substantial, in fact, that what Brooking suspected had happened was that the version of the Bill reported back from select committee — and not as yet agreed to by Parliament — had been used as the template for the soon to be amended again Bill. "This is a terrible way to make laws," Brooking lamented. "It's very frustrating, when you have been through a select committee process and have asked about the wording of different phrases and made amendments in the select committee process, to see that all upended on the day of the committee stage of the Bill." Bishop, to his credit, was somewhat repentant about that: "In mitigation, most of the changes in the Amendment Paper have been publicly announced, in some cases, a couple of months, if not earlier, than today. So members have had a good opportunity to kick those issues around." As it turned out, they were about to do a lot more kicking ... and not without good reason, as the Bill — now an Act — attempted to achieve a heck of a lot within its many pages. The much-criticised RMA is due to be axed next year: in the meantime the Amendment Act makes a many short-term changes to time frames for consent processing in areas such as infrastructure, renewable energy, farming and consenting after natural disaster. It is very broad in some places and narrowly specific in others — such as allowing the demolition of Wellington's Gordon Wilson flats and allowing Auckland to develop land around its railway stations. A lot of this is reasonable, Brooking agreed, in her third reading speech. "Labour was supporting this Bill when it was introduced and even at the second reading, despite having concerns about some of the changes that were made at select committee," she said. "But something happened on Tuesday morning. That was that a very large Amendment Paper was dropped and it made significant changes to the Bill. Changes that we were not even able to debate in this House because government members chose to stand up and close the debate on these very important aspects." Brooking then proceeded to give the government a stern and emotional telling off for its terrible law making ... none of which was enough to stop it being passed by lunchtime Thursday. Best supporting actor Taieri Green list MP Scott Willis also deserves an honorable mention in despatches for his efforts this week. Not only did he put his shoulder to the wheel with a succession of interventions on the aforementioned RMA Bill, he also had a crack at Science minister Shane Reti during Question Time on Thursday concerning job losses in the sector. Answering Willis' question about how many jobs had been lost in the sector since the formation of the government, Reti conceded that 134 jobs were to go with the disestablishment of Callaghan Innovation — the point that Willis was trying to make — but Reti also highlighted a Stats NZ survey which suggested a recent increase of people working in the sector. Which is not the same as jobs being lost, a point Willis soon made ... as well as pointedly asking if those laid-off scientists would be heading to the airport departure lounge post-haste. "I think that scientists who have been disestablished through part of the reforms will have a skill set that will be able to be applied in other parts of the science sector," Reti replied — which is true, but which also side-stepped the question of in which country's science sector that might be.
Scoop
a day ago
- Business
- Scoop
ACT Speeds Up Consents To Keep The Lights On And Costs Down
ACT MP and Energy spokesperson Simon Court is welcoming the passage of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill into law. 'ACT campaigned to end the ban on oil and gas exploration and to use New Zealand's Crown minerals – including oil, gas, and coal – to keep our lights on and our economy moving,' Court said. 'We also identified that the RMA made it virtually impossible to consent thermal electricity generation, even when it was critical for energy security. 'From today, gas and coal-fired power stations have the same one-year priority consenting pathway as wind and solar projects. That means generators renewing or seeking new consents for thermal plants won't be bogged down in years of red tape. The race to net zero has made one thing clear – without reliable thermal backup, there's a limit to how much renewable energy the grid can handle. When the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine, New Zealanders still expect to heat their homes, run factories, and keep the lights on. ACT is making sure they can. 'Experience here and in Australia shows that as more wind and solar comes online, the need for reliable backup grows, too. These reforms make it faster to consent that firming generation so homes and businesses can count on a secure power supply.' ACT is also welcoming the requirement for specified energy or wood processing consents to be decided within a year, with extensions allowed, but never exceeding two years in total. "We're cutting years off the consenting process and removing uncertainty for major energy projects. That's good news for the construction sector and especially ordinary New Zealanders who pay the compliance costs," says Mr Court. 'By speeding up projects and cutting red tape, ACT is helping to keep power prices and building costs under control.'
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
New RMA Amendment To Speed Up Consenting Of Much-Needed New Generation
Energy Resources Aotearoa is celebrating a significant win for New Zealand's energy sector, with Parliament today passing the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill at its third reading. The new Act amends the RMA to open up a consenting pathway for specified energy activities, which is intended to reduce costs for operators and unlock much-needed investment in renewable energy infrastructure. Energy Resources Aotearoa is pleased the Act adopts its key recommendation to extend the same streamlined settings to thermal electricity generation. Projects such as gas-fired peaking plants - essential for meeting demand when wind generation is low, hydro storage is depleted, and solar output is unavailable - will now benefit from faster consenting, with decisions required within 12 months. Chief Executive of Energy Resources Aotearoa, John Carnegie, says this change is a big win for the energy sector and New Zealand households and businesses. "Renewables will power more and more of New Zealand's future energy needs, but we need firming capacity to step in when the weather doesn't co-operate. This decision means we can plan and build the backup generation that keeps the grid stable and the country's economy and industrial base humming." Carnegie says that in adopting this change, the Government has agreed with Energy Resources Aotearoa's call for a broader, fuel-agnostic consenting framework that includes all activities improving New Zealand's energy security. "We've long argued for a fuel-agnostic approach where projects are judged on their merits, not their fuel or technology type. Parliament has recognised that reality today, and it's a vital step toward a more secure system that provides the energy abundance New Zealand needs to thrive." Energy Resources Aotearoa commends the Government for taking a whole-of-system approach to resource management reform that recognises the interdependence of renewable and thermal generation in maintaining a secure and reliable electricity supply for New Zealand's future.
Otago Daily Times
20-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Local government confusion
As we head towards local government elections, prospective candidates might be wondering what they could be letting themselves in for. For the last year or more the government has been berating councils for being poor fiscal managers, insisting they need to refocus on core services and cut out wasteful spending. As well, there has been unhelpful and unfocused speculation about the future role of regional councils. To add to the messy mix, last week the government announced a confusing set of restrictions on councils' planning programmes to stop them doing work which will not align with the forthcoming laws replacing the existing Resource Management Act. Plan reviews and changes will be stopped through an Amendment Paper to the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill, expected to become law next month. There will be mixed views about whether councils are irresponsible big spenders on vanity projects or whether the majority of rates rises are the result of them finally trying to catch up with years of underspending on infrastructure. What people believe is the truth may depend on the size of their rates increase and whether they take issue with some aspect of council spending they think is unnecessary. It is convenient for the government to point the finger at local government for the impact rates rises are having on the cost of living. It diverts attention from other living cost pressures, among them continuing food price rises. Despite its big talk about reining in the dominant supermarkets, nothing changes. The Regulatory Impact Statement on the Local Government (System Improvements) Amendment Bill which passed its first reading in Parliament late last week made the point cost pressures on councils were being driven by capital and operating cost escalation, flowing from supply chain upheaval and a tight labour market during the pandemic and "accelerated headline inflation since". "Infrastructure costs have long been a major cause of rate increases, with councils needing to upgrade infrastructure, especially for water and wastewater treatment plants, and invest in more infrastructure to meet growth demands. "Around two-thirds of capital expenditure for councils is applied to core infrastructure, not including libraries and other community facilities, or parks and reserves." What the government considers is OK for council spending and what is not has not always been clear, but the Bill attempts to shed some light on that. It defines the core services of a local authority as network infrastructure, public transport services, waste management, civil defence emergency management, libraries, museums, reserves and other recreational facilities. It has also tinkered with the definition of the purpose of local government to include supporting local economic growth and development. But the purpose also states it is to enable democratic local decision-making and action by and on behalf of communities. Councillors and wannabe councillors around the country might wonder what that means when it appears the central government is wanting much greater influence. Many will be feeling betrayed by the failure of the National Party to live up to its promises of devolution and localism. Local Government NZ president Sam Broughton summed up that feeling at the organisation's conference last week, saying it felt like "every party in opposition is a localist and then as soon as they're in power, they become a creature that draws all the more power to themselves." Local government minister Simon Watts is still talking up plans for a rates cap, saying the government is working at pace on a model for it, despite National not seeming to have the backing of its coalition partners. NZ First leader Winston Peters was scathing about it, quoted as saying "every other party is interfering in local government" and his party had never done this. He suggested central government could not preach to local government when it did not have its own spending under control. Whatever happens next, it is clear there is much to do to improve the relationship and trust between central and local government and to ensure the word local is not becoming a synonym for national. Further preaching and scolding will not achieve that.
Scoop
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Gordon Wilson Flats' Heritage Protection Goneburger
The derelict and unsafe Gordon Wilson Flats in Wellington will lose its protected heritage status and become eligible for demolition through an amendment to the Resource Management Act (RMA) in the coming weeks, RMA Reform and Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. 'The Gordon Wilson Flats were used as social housing until 2012, when an engineer's report showed the building was so unsafe that large slabs of the concrete exterior could come off in an earthquake or even a strong wind. The building has sat vacant since then, becoming more dangerous and more of an eyesore every year,' Mr Bishop says. 'The Gordon Wilson Flats are currently listed as heritage protected in the Wellington City District Plan, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get a resource consent to demolish them or alter them. 'There has been attempt after attempt to deal with the Gordon Wilson Flats since 2012, all of which have failed. The Flats sit as an ugly scar on the Wellington skyline, emblematic of a failed planning system that prioritises preservation of heritage, no matter the economic cost. 'Cities shouldn't be museums. The Wellington City Council wants the Gordon Wilson flats demolished, the University (the current owner) wants them demolished, and the people of Wellington want them demolished too. 'The Government is not prepared to let the situation continue any longer. 'Cabinet has agreed to enable the demolition of Gordon Wilson Flats by amending the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill, which has recently been reported back to Parliament. 'The amendment will remove the Flats' protected heritage status and will make its demolition a permitted activity under the RMA. This means the building can finally be demolished, without a resource consent. 'The amendments will not apply to any other heritage-protected buildings around the country. The Gordon Wilson Flats have been singled out because the building is owned by a public institution – Victoria University – and because that owner, the council and the community all want it gone. 'I know many Wellingtonians will be relieved to know the Gordon Wilson Flats' days of heritage protection are numbered, and that it is unlikely to mar our beautiful city's skyline for too much longer. The Amendment Paper to the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill will be introduced during the Bill's Committee of the Whole House stage, between its second and third readings. The Bill is expected to pass into law in the middle of 2025. 'The Bill also contains wider amendments to allow councils to de-list heritage buildings in their district plans faster and more easily. The wider issue of heritage protection is also being actively considered as part of the government's replacement legislation for the Resource Management Act, expected to be introduced later in the year.' Victoria University may choose to demolish the Gordon Wilson Flats following the enactment of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill. While they would not need a resource consent for the demolition, they would still need a demolition consent under the Building Act 2004 to ensure appropriate management of matters such as handling and disposing of hazardous building materials and controlling silt runoff, excess noise and dust generated by the demolition.
