The Environmental Defence Society has welcomed the release of Parliament’s Environment Select Committee report on the government’s proposed replacement for the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) – the Natural and Built Environments Bill.

“The drafting of some of the key front-end provisions of the Bill, including its purpose and principles, was an important milestone. It has allowed for bigger-picture discussions to happen before the process drills down into the minutiae of what will no doubt be a large and complex piece of legislation,” said CEO Gary Taylor. 

Alongside a number of good suggestions, there are some recommendations that warrant caution. For instance, there is talk of creating ‘exceptions’ where environmental limits do not have to be complied with.

Read EDS’s full statement here.