The Government will undo 'objectionable changes' to the RMA introduced under National

Environment Minister David Parker this afternoon announced a two-stage process to improve the RMA which is expected to start next year photo / Mark Michell

The Government will "objectionable changes" to the Resource Management Act (RMA) adopted under the previous government.

Environment Minister David Parker this afternoon announced a two-stage process to improve the legislation which is expected to start next year.

"The Resource Management Act is underperforming in some critical areas and needs fixing," David Parker said.

The RMA is New Zealand's main piece of legislation that sets out how the environment should be managed.

Under the previous National-led Government, reforming the Act – which was first passed in 1991 – was a sticking point, as National was not able to reach a full consensus with its Coalition partners, ACT, United Future and the Maori Party, regarding the changes it wanted to make.

Parker today blamed the previous government for making a mess of the legislation.

"The changes under the previous government caused perverse outcomes that gave applicants an incentive to intentionally make their applications non-compliant to preserve public participation and appeal rights."

National Environment spokesman Scott Simpson said some of the changes the previous Government are starting to have a real positive impact, resulting in a smoother consenting process with less cost.

"The changes the Minister is proposing are just mere tinkering. What is really needed is a wholesale reform of the RMA."

He said reform of the RMA is critical to increasing housing supply which in turn will make housing more affordable.

"We know planning and consenting for land use is important and that it still takes too long to free up land."

Parker said the changes made last year by the government were "unprincipled and impractical."

This Government, Parker said, would fix these issues.

"[The changes] will repeal the broad regulation-making power passed last year, which enabled the Minister for the Environment to override councils," Parker said.

"It will retain national direction powers via National Environmental Standards and National Policy Statements."

Other changes, including the ability to upgrade groups of consents in line with updated standards, would help speed the cleaning up of New Zealand rivers, have also been mooted.

A Bill addressing changes that can be made to the Act straight away would be introduced to Parliament early next year, Parker said.

It would address particular issues with resource consenting, and monitoring and enforcement processes in the RMA.