First came the fast-track Bill, rammed through by this Trump-like government.
Fast-tracking allows district plan provisions to be ignored. It has resulted in fast-track abominations such as the Screen Hub development near Lake Hayes which gratuitously includes an unnecessary, but lucrative, 201-unit accommodation complex. This is supposedly workers’ accommodation but, once consented, it will be impossible to prevent the units from being sold off or rented to anyone.
The Screen Hub proposal has been strongly supported by government ministers Louise Upston and Chris Bishop, meaning almost certain approval in the fast-track process for this intrusive development in the Wakatipu Basin. No wonder the neighbours are livid.
Then came the small stand-alone dwelling legislation (wrongly labelled "granny flats") which is now law and permits small houses of up to 70sqm to be stuck in glaringly obvious places in rural landscapes — for instance on top of prominent ridges, immediately beside highways or close to the Clutha River, Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea.
All of these small dwellings will be accessed by highly visible access roads and will entail visible water tanks and other clutter. The legislation permits the small dwellings as of right meaning district plan rules protecting landscape values do not apply.
Now the legislation replacing the RMA has arrived and will become law after the election. It is a veritable developer’s charter.
The legislation produces a big stick for developers to use to force through inappropriate development. The big stick is derived from the Regulatory Standards Act and means that if the council refuses consent for a subdivision the developer/landowner will have to be paid compensation for not being allowed to develop the property in the manner proposed.
The upshot is that councils will have the choice between protecting the landscape and going bankrupt because of the many tens of millions of dollars they will have to pay to landowners when they refuse consents, or granting consent for all developments, despite huge effects on landscape values.
The new legislation permits much greater effects of development on landscape values compared with the RMA, supposedly to protect property rights.
But the property rights of neighbours who have to live with these adverse effects are not protected.
The legislation only permits people identified as being affected by the adverse effects of development to make a submission.
Community groups, such as environmental or ratepayer groups, and the wider public will not be able to make submissions and will be prevented from appealing to the Environment Court.
US tech billionaire Peter Thiel will doubtless apply again for consent for his massive bunker complex near Wanaka and the Queenstown Lakes District Council will be put in a position where it will have to grant consent.
The wonderful rural landscape that tourists come to see will be gradually wrecked.
The Queenstown Lakes District Plan, which has taken 12 years and many millions to develop and contains sensible rules for protecting landscape values while at the same time permitting most development, may as well be chucked in the lake.
It is a complete shambles. In order to justify the legislation, the government is being economical with the truth.
It says the RMA prevents development but take a look at the Queenstown Lakes district. Development of all kinds has gone gangbusters over the past 30 years, and almost all of this development has taken place under the RMA.
The RMA does not stop development, but it does limit landscape-destroying development. It also allows the wider public and community groups to have a say.
While this article has concentrated on the Queenstown Lakes district, the legislation will cause similar adverse effects on landscapes throughout New Zealand.
The government is introducing the new planning legislation in order to permit almost open slather development for its developer mates.
The sensible planning rules developed in New Zealand by experts over generations are being ditched in one fell swoop.
— Julian Haworth has been a committee member of the Upper Clutha Environmental Society for the past 30 years.
