More community input in RMA sought

21OtagoR.JPG
21OtagoR.JPG
Otago regional councillor Louise Croot has criticised proposed changes to the Resource Management Act, saying it is reducing community notification and input.

Proposed reduction of community involvement was the "biggest threat'' to the RMA, Cr Croot told an Otago Regional Council meeting this week.

Her remarks came during discussion of a council report which summarised recent submissions, on behalf of the council, to the Government, over the proposed changes.

Cr Croot said later she was concerned people outside Otago could interfere with local decision-making over environmental matters, and the valuable effects-linked focus of the RMA was at risk.

Because of a tight submissions deadline, much of the ORC submission had been prepared on behalf of the council by senior council staff.

Several councillors at this week's meeting voiced concern with proposed RMA changes and further supported the council submissions.

Cr Gerry Eckhoff agreed with several aspects of the submissions but said the RMA did need to be reviewed and improved, and took a different view on some matters.

Approached for comment, council chairman Stephen Woodhead said some of the proposed changes, including greatly increased ministerial powers, were "wrong'' in principle, set a "very dangerous precedent'', and were of great concern.

Mr Woodhead acknowledged Cr Croot's concerns, and said the community's right to have input on RMA matters should not be reduced at a national level by Government action.

Any decision that meant reducing public RMA input needed to be "made very carefully and should be made at the local level'', he said.

The Government had raised some concerns about aspects of the RMA.

But "we've got to be careful not to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut'' and to think carefully as a country about "some of the risks'' in the approach being proposed, he said.

The council submissions to the Government over the proposed Resource Legislation Amendment Bill take issue with new wide-ranging ministerial powers included in the proposed changes to the RMA.

Several proposed amendments addressed "deficiencies'' in the RMA Act, and should be put into effect "as soon as practicable'', said the report, under the name of director policy planning and resource management Fraser McRae.

But several significant amendments "cut into local decision-making powers by creating ministerial opportunities to intervene in local plan-making and consenting processes'', the report warned.

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement