RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT
Sustainable management of New Zealand’s unique natural and physical resources is vital to our social, economic and environmental well-being. The Resource Management Act is the one of the key elements guiding development towards a more sustainable future. 

Political Parties should commit to:
 

1. Reviewing the amendments to the RMA included in the RMA Amendment Bill 1999 and oppose the introduction of any changes which restrict the ability of the public to participate, or which reduce the quality of environmental management. In particular, amendments to introduce contestable consent processing, limit public notification of resource consent applications, impair environmental impact assessment and weaken public input into national policy statements should be opposed.

2. Removing the barriers to public participation and providing financial assistance to empower communities and environmental groups to take part in resource management processes. Funding of a minimum of $5 million/year should be provided to ensure adequate legal, expert and research assistance.

3. Strengthen the environmental provisions of the Resource Management Act for the preparation of Assessments of Environmental Effects by introducing a system of independent environmental auditing to ensure the effects of development proposals are thoroughly evaluated.

4. Support the RMA (Costs) Amendment Bill 1998 which seeks to protect community and environmental groups representing a genuine public interest from having costs awarded against them by the Environment Court.

5. Extend the Ministry for the Environment’s role to include the advocacy of sustainable management and increase the Ministry’s annual vote to a level sufficient to carry out its functions. An increase of 50% by 2001 should be provided and priority for additional spending should be given to:

a) establish and implement National Environmental Standards and National Policy Statements on -
    1. Biodiversity;
    2. Sustainable Land and Water Management;
    3. Energy and Climate Change;
b) providing training to local government;

c) energy and marine management (including fisheries), and waste minimisation.

For further information contact: All groups

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean

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