As much as they could see some of the appeal, Southern mayors welcomed proposed changes with caution yesterday, as they considered what might be lost amid the paperwork bonfire.
They did not want what was special about their places to be compromised.
The Resource Management Act (RMA) is on its way out, to be replaced by two new laws separating land-use planning from natural resource management.
"Our reforms are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to free ourselves from a millstone that has weighed on both our economy and our environment," RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said.
"A cost-benefit analysis estimates $13.3 billion in savings over 30 years through reduced administrative and compliance costs."
Queenstown Lakes District Mayor John Glover said it had been signalled significant change was on the way.
Simplification and standardisation of planning processes had been expected.
"But I think the timeframes for implementation are extremely challenging."
He noted the heightened prospect of landowners being compensated for council regulation that affected their activities.
He wondered if the results could end up being confusing or counter-productive.
"We have things like protected heritage features and outstanding natural landscapes or highly valuable soils because society, over many years, has placed a value on that," Mr Glover said.
"We have a clear government agenda to drive the value of tourism, but then some of that is in danger of being undermined if we compromise the landscape values that we know bring a lot of those visitors here."
Councils would have to work through challenging circumstances as best they could.
Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker was worried the city might have reduced protection of its special features, such as heritage buildings and outstanding landscapes.
They were key to its economic development and tourism.
Less red tape and making it easier to get on with developments and add more housing sounded positive, she said.
Resourcing councils to do all the work the government required of them loomed as a challenge, Ms Barker said.
Dunedin Labour MP Rachel Brooking said she was disappointed the government was pushing through transitional arrangements under urgency procedures in Parliament this week.
The government planned to extend existing consent expiry dates out until after the system transition — in many cases to about 2031.
Much of the reform programme did not surprise Ms Brooking, but the urgency element for the transition did.
"It could be very consequential or it might be sensible, but we don’t know because there’s no analysis and no-one’s talked to us about it."
Regarding the two main Bills, Ms Brooking said ideas such as compensating landowners for regulatory provisions would need to be looked at carefully in Parliament’s select-committee process.
She also expected scrutiny about provision of green spaces in big urban centres, environmental bottom lines and "the role that community has in the system as a whole".
Green MP Francisco Hernandez said communities wanted to protect biodiversity and the natural environment.
The government was looking to prioritise corporate greed over public wellbeing.
Central Otago District Mayor Tamah Alley said she expected people would welcome a reduction in delays that held up projects.
Extending the expiry of existing consents out to about 2031 would be a huge relief for many farmers — "provided we can offer clarity well before then".
"This reform does mean there will be less opportunity for local voices to influence decisions," Mrs Alley said.
She was surprised the new planning system was projected to boost gross domestic product by just 0.56% a year, although the government said this would be worth up to $3.1b annually.
