Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks on Resource Management Act reforms
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is pushing for reforms to the Resource Management Act to streamline infrastructure development. Opposition parties argue the changes may weaken environmental protections and create administrative instability.
Why it matters
Regulatory reform of land use and environmental law is a major point of contention between economic development goals and conservation efforts.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says Resource Management Act reforms will make building infrastructure easier, faster and more affordable.
But opposition parties warn the changes could make the system more unworkable, and dilute environmental protections.
The select committee reports also pointed to an independent report finding the regulatory relief scheme it sets up could costs up to about $2b.
The reports detail 142 pages of changes to the government's proposed reforms to the Resource Management Act which includes a "regulatory relief" scheme that would see landowners compensated by councils for changes that affect them.
This included the removal of a clause requiring that use and development of the environment must be kept "within environmental limits".
Changes agreed by Cabinet would also mean existing agreements between councils and iwi - known as Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements - would be scrapped and replaced with "new narrowly scoped iwi participation agreements".
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