Community and council input critical to shaping new RM laws

 Community voice is critical to getting the Resource Management (RM) Reform right, says Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ)LGNZ President Stuart Crosby said councils will be looking carefully at the exposure draft of the Natural and Built Environment Act with a view to how it will improve upon the existing Resource Management Act  and not place a further burden on communities.Mr Crosby said “We’re broadly supportive of the RM Reform process as proposed. But as the regulatory doers of 95 percent of resource management, councils know only too well what happens if you don’t pin down critical matters when legislation is being drafted.”LGNZ’s extensive advice and research includes:

• RMA reforms – A new dawn or continued uncertainty: A legal opinion that reviews whether proposed Part 2 of the Natural and Built Environment Act will lead better quality outcomes for both the natural and built environments and a more responsive system.
• Implications of the recommendations in the Randerson Report on the future role and functions of local government: Legal advice that examines the implications for the role and responsibilities of local government as a result of the reforms, and the ability of local communities to have their views shape planning outcomes.
• Done Right - Spatial Planning Can Improve Housing Affordability: An urban economic analysis that makes the case for the RM Reforms to go further in the protection of future transport corridors with the aim of making infrastructure and housing more affordable.