The Government has today introduced the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill. The Bill seeks to reform and align plan making and consenting processes under the Resource Management Act 1991 and a range of other environmental legislation, including the Reserves Act 1977, the Public Works Act 1981, the Conservation Act 1987, the Environmental Protection Authority Act 2011, and the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012.
The Minister for the Environment, Hon. Dr Nick Smith, says the Bill aims to reduce "the bureaucracy that gets in the way of creating jobs, building houses, and good environmental management. It provides for greater national consistency, more responsive planning, simplified consenting and better alignment with other laws.”
The Minister's press release and a copy of the Bill are available here.
We would be happy to discuss the Bill and its specific proposals with you.