Nick Smith - Nelson MP, Minister National Government

Fixing the RMA

04/02/2010

For the last two years I have bored you to tears in this column about how the Resource Management Act needs fixing. As Minister for the Environment I can tell you that I have finally done something about it.

On 19 February I introduced an RMA reform bill into Parliament that will simplify and streamline processes around resource consents and reduce the costs, uncertainties and delays. These changes will cut through suffocating red tape for Kiwi homeowners, businesses and farmers while safeguarding the environment.

At a time of economic difficulty these reforms take away barriers that stand in the way of helping our country’s future prosperity.

The bill has passed its first reading and has been referred to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee. But just as this Bill is about timely decision making, with the recession and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment waiting, these reforms need to be made expeditiously. That is why I hope to make this law by 1 July this year.

The RMA reform bill was just one of this Government’s promises of what we would do in our first 100 days in office.

Since being sworn in on 19 November last year, your Government has been working hard to deliver on its promises. At the core of our 100-day action plan we promised major action on the economy, law and order, education, and health. We have completed all 27 actions in that plan – on the issues that matter to New Zealanders. Let me outline what we have done.

Tax cuts legislation was passed before Christmas. In a time of economic difficulty this will result in more money in people’s pockets from 1 April. These cuts will boost superannuation payments over time.

Our transitional relief package, Re-start – aimed at Kiwis worst hit by redundancy – is already helping 800 families.

With regards to the economy, a line-by-line review of government spending is underway with Ministers reviewing all their budgets. We have some awful challenges in areas like ACC where costs have been out of control.

This Government has also cracked down on law and order introducing legislation to curb gangs, tightened bail laws, establish youth programmes, give police wider powers to take DNA samples and put in place on the spot protection orders and victim compensation.

In Health, the Government has delivered on its promise to fully fund the cancer drug Herceptin, will fully fund a 24-hour Plunketline, and introduced the voluntary bonding scheme to ensure student loan write off for graduate doctors, nurses, and midwives who go to hard to staff areas of New Zealand. We have also done this for vets and teachers.

In education we have begun moves to set National Standards in literacy and numeracy and ensure parents know how their children are doing at school. We’ve also begun our crack-down on truancy to so that more children who should be at school are in the classroom and not on the streets.

And finally I’ m pleased to say the National Government has repealed the draconian Electoral Finance Act.

It has been hard work under very difficult economic circumstances but we are making progress. Our next steps will be to deliver on the rest of our election promises, implement our Jobs and Growth Plan, and help build a brighter future for all New Zealanders.