RMA national direction freshwater and primary sector submissions - PCE

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has made a series of submissions on the RMA national direction packages. In this submission he provided feedback on proposed amendments to the primary sector and freshwater packages.

He warns that New Zealand’s problems with water quality and sustainable land use have been a long time in the making. Policy changes like these, that are designed to yield ‘quick wins’, are unlikely to address current or future challenges that require patient attention over much longer time-frames.

He also points out the constant reform of national policy statements over the last 15 years has caused confusion and frustration for land users and has been demoralising for local government staff who have struggled to make progress.

He has advised the Government against proceeding with the proposals, noting that they will not, in his view, reduce the likelihood of future change and are therefore unlikely to provide either enduring freshwater or land management systems.