A plan to stop councils issuing blanket tree protection would
risk a "chainsaw massacre", Labour says.
The Government has been vocal about its reform of the
Resource Management Act (RMA).
Changes include prohibiting blanket tree protection orders.
Most changes would come into force on October 1, but the
existing rules for the protection of trees would be phased
out by 2012.
Labour and the Greens will work on an amendment to maintain
tree protection but make it "less onerous".
Labour MP Phil Twyford said the proposed change meant the
Government was "prepared to sacrifice out trees".
"They are interfering in local government, stopping councils
from using solutions that work at the local level."
Seventy eight percent of submissions to the select committee
considering the changes opposed the ban on blanket
protection, Mr Twyford said.
Environment Minister Nick Smith has previously said the RMA
changes were about cutting red tape, not environmental
protection.
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