Submissions have been called on the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Bill by the Chair of the Environmental Committee, the Hon. Scott Simpson. Submissions close on 10 February.

The Bill had its first reading on 17 December.  It amends the Resource Management Act 1991 to progress government priorities and makes changes in five broad areas:

• Infrastructure and Energy – the changes will give effect to the Government’s Electrify NZ reforms, making it easier to get renewable energy built, as well as improving how ports run.
• Housing – this includes reforms to enable the first pillar of the Government’s Going for Housing Growth policy. It will allow councils to opt out of the Medium Density Residential Standards as well as providing councils with ways to make faster plan changes. It will also provide new intervention powers, for the Minister for the Environment, to ensure councils comply with national direction. 
• Farming and the primary sector – the changes will reduce the regulatory overlap between the RMA and the Fisheries Act 1996; it will provide flexibility and certainty for marine farming consent processes; it will make farm plan certification more practical and cost-effective; as well as making sure resource consent applications for wood processing are decided within one year.
• Emergency and Natural Hazards – the Bill will make responses to natural hazards and emergencies more efficient and effective as well as ensure that the planning system is not allowing inappropriate development in areas with significant natural hazard risk.
• Resource management system improvements – these include higher fines for non-compliance, changes to how resource consent applications are managed, as well as providing councils with a quicker process for delisting heritage buildings.

For more information, or to make a submission, visit the Environment Select Committee page here.