“The Resource Management Act (RMA) has been an incredible frustration.
“The cost of consenting is just so high now and the time taken to get a consent drives capex programmes through the roof.”
The council’s plans to develop the freight and logistics hub on the southern boundary of Marton had been in the Environment Court since 2021 following an appeal against rezoning 65 hectares of land, earmarked for the hub, from rural to industrial.
The appeal was rejected by the Environment Court last year.
Watson said his council already had a number of new fast-tracking proposals before it to convert land to solar and wind farms.
“Fairly large areas of the Rangitīkei may convert to solar or wind farming as its most important land use. It’s a mixture of class 1 and class 2 soils and coastal use.”
Watson, who relinquished a role as an RMA chair to take up his work in local government, said while the council would in theory welcome a faster consenting process, there was not enough information yet.
He said the new law would need to include adequate environmental safeguards and protection for localism in resource management decisions.
“We don’t yet understand the true nature of the replacement of the RMA being developed.
“What was proposed by the Labour Government was three different processes and the key parts of those systems occurred regionally, through regional planning committees.
“That’s all going by the board but it’s likely that there will still be some sort of regional decision-making process.”
Watson believed the new regime might apply more to the process used to make decisions.
“It may not be a shortcut in the process of identification of risks for consenting. For example, the groundwork for, say, a wastewater discharge is likely to still be the same.”
Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe said he supported the streamlining of resource management consenting but needed to see more detail.
“We need more housing and business development to strengthen our economy.
“However, we also need to make sure that any fast-tracking isn’t at the expense of the environment, particularly the awa [Whanganui River]. We need to balance expediency with cultural, social and environmental wellbeing.”
Tripe said it was too early to identify projects that could be eligible for fast-track consenting under the Government’s criteria of regional or nationally significant infrastructure and development.
“Some projects will be more appropriate than others. We like to think of ourselves as proactive and front footing anything we do. We are the type of organisation that is willing to move fast and adopt legislation to our advantage.”
In December last year, the new coalition Government kicked off its RMA reform agenda by repealing the Labour Government’s Natural and Built Environment Act and Spatial Planning Act.
It says the Resource Management Act is overly restrictive and the new fast-track consenting regime would make it easier for major infrastructure projects in aquaculture, mining, farming, energy and other industries.
The Resource Management Act was enacted in 1991, promoting the sustainable management of natural and physical resources such as land, air and water.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
