The aim is to have 16 new or updated statements and standards in place by the end of this year, well ahead of legislation to replace the Resource Management Act. They would underpin both the RMA and its replacement.
The consultation covers infrastructure and development, the primary sector and freshwater. It opened at the end of last week and runs until July 27.
The scope is vast, leaving much to digest and react to. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop described the changes as both complex and technical, but also essential.
The government claims its balanced approach represents the biggest change in national policy statement direction. The present regime was a "direct contributor to infrastructure deficits, driving up costs and slowing down projects". The measures would help "unclog the arteries of the economy".
However, others see these changes as an assault on the environment and a win for the wish lists of lobbyists, such as farmers and miners.
Freshwater will be a fierce battleground, and the government is consulting on options. After feedback, specific proposals will be released for further submissions.
The government plans to "rebalance" Te Mana o te Wai, while Act New Zealand would like it scrapped altogether. Te Mana o te Wai placed the health of waterways as the priority, followed by drinking water, with economics and social matters secondary.
New objectives propose that councils should "safeguard the life-supporting capacity of freshwater and the health of people and communities, while enabling communities to provide for their social, cultural and economic well-being, including productive economic opportunities". In other words, neither priority is ranked above the other.
Councils would also be required "to consider the pace and cost of change, and who bears the cost".
The government, occasionally correctly, claims that practical realities were sometimes ignored when previous standards were applied. Yet, strong action is vital to reverse the degradation of wetlands, lakes, rivers and aquifers.
There are also loosened provisions for vegetable growers and water storage. The definition of wetlands is "clarified".
It is claimed that the costs were disproportionate to the benefits, with fencing requirements for non-intensive grazing a notable example. In some cases, dilution is the solution.
Consenting for quarrying and mining and clean energy projects would be streamlined, described as "cutting red tape and not corners".
Commercial forestry changes may lead to slash mobilisation plan assessments, although questions have been raised about their enforcement.
Granny flats of up to 70sq m would be allowed without consent in specific zones, and rules for housing on Māori land would be made more consistent and accessible. Consultation on housing direction as a whole is expected soon.
Of course, the government claims environmental protections are important and will be retained. Rightly, there is scepticism.
The devil lurks within a hell of a lot of detail across the standards. They will each need to be carefully and fairly scrutinised, although the results will inevitably fall short of satisfying competing views and interests.
It has become clear that the narrow majority of Otago Regional councillors were quixotic when they fought on for their land and water plan. The government was always going to change the rules, and they should have accepted that sooner.
National regional council representatives this week expressed frustration at policy swings. They are on the front line of RMA (and any replacements).
They seek greater certainty and bipartisan agreement, as substantial changes bring upheaval and expense.
The RMA itself was a bipartisan measure, once a pioneering piece of legislation internationally. However, it became more complex and criticised from all quarters. National promptly discarded Labour’s 2023 RMA replacement.
Lasting and consistent laws and standards built on practical environmental protection would necessitate major compromises.
Yet, such a consensus is increasingly unlikely as National and Labour move further apart.
