Whanganui will be in one of 17 regional combined plans as part of the Government's new legislation. Photo / NZME
Whanganui’s mayor says the council must embrace local government changes as another piece of legislation heads its way.
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop announced this week the Resource Management Act (RMA) would be replaced by the Planning Act and a Natural Environment Act, with 17 regional plans under the new system.
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said RMA reform had to be looked at “with a set of eyes that are about the opportunity, rather than the threat”.
“Something needed to happen and the Government is heading in the right direction in this regard,” he said.
“Fewer plans, fewer consents, I think everyone wants that.”
He said 78 local authorities were trying to interpret the RMA.
“Often, there is a lot of variability in it and I think it’s important to have consistency.
“Having 17 regional combined plans makes far more sense.”
Earlier this year, Bishop ordered all councils to halt work on plan changes in anticipation of this week’s announcement.
Councils will change to the new system over three years, with a law passed under urgency to extend the expiry date for consents to two years after that period.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and Te Tai Hauāuru MP Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said that meant “bad-practising companies” could continue for five years.
“It’s giving an extension to people involved in coastal marine activities and land use activities that may otherwise not have got [consents],” she said.
“Polluters are seriously killing off our tributaries. I’ve never seen the number of warnings we have in Pātea Awa and our beaches.
“They [Government] have provided certainty to polluters and extractors, and uncertainty to communities affected the most.”
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton said his council had to adjust to how the Government wanted to operate.
“It’s a more centralised, regional approach,” he said.
“We know Horizons Regional Council has been given notice that they will be adjusted over time, so this is no surprise.
“From a general public point of view, it’s going to be good news if you don’t have to worry too much about consenting to the level it was in the past.”
Last month, the Government proposed abolishing regional councillors and replacing them with Combined Territories Boards, made up of the mayors of councils currently sitting under a regional council.
The Government estimates the number of permits and consents will be cut by 46% under the two new acts.
Horizons Regional Council chairwoman Nikki Riley said that figure was not evenly split between city/district councils and regional councils.
The natural environment side of the new system was expected to have a 20% to 30% reduction in consents and permits, and, even with the five-year extension, new consents needed to be issued and fast-track consents processed, she said.
“This work will require skilled professionals to manage these processes, while the wider transition to the new system will require people with knowledge of the current system.
“Furthermore, regional councils still retain responsibility for compliance monitoring and enforcement as it stands.
“Under the new system, as outlined in the bills, regional councils have a big role to play.”
Whanganui MP Carl Bates (National) said the RMA changes would deliver efficiency and savings but that did not mean “throwing the environment out the window”.
“We are still looking after the environment, but doing so in a practical, commonsense way that doesn’t stop activities that would otherwise be delayed or cost huge amounts of money to get through a compliance process.”
The Government has a series of goals for the Natural Environment Bill, including no net loss in indigenous biodiversity and protecting human health from harm caused by contaminant discharge.
The bill aims to identify and protect sites of significance to Māori, with Māori participation in the development of national instruments, spatial planning and natural environment plans.
Tripe said the council had to embrace local government changes but that did not mean not pushing back where required.
“In five years, we’ll be in a stronger state than those councils that fight and make excuses.
“They’ll find themselves being left behind and I don’t want to be one of those.”
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.