The recent High Court decision (NZTA v Architectural Centre Inc & Ors) appears to have put an end to the flyover in the short term … but what are NZTA’s options now for the Basin Reserve?
Following the High Court decision (21 August 2015), NZTA have the right to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. Read More
Last Sunday (12th October) John Key announced that the Housing Accords legislation would be incorporated into the Resource Management Act (RMA), and that the Basin Board of Inquiry was evidence of a need to combine sections 6 and 7, and include a reference to “infrastructure” in this new section in an amended RMA. Read More
Submissions on the RMA Streamlining Bill is due today. I’ll refrain from comments about politics and streamlining – or streamlining and design – you can check out Christina Cogdell’s Eugenic Design for that one. But the Bill proposed raises important issues about how the public might be included or excluded from the RMA process. The Bill also proposes new rules about whether a consent needs public notification … and for tree lovers there’s plenty to talk about.
Information on making a submission can be found at:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/SC/SubmCalled/1/6/e/49SCLGEresourcemanagements200904031-Resource-Management-Simplifying.htm
Yay for participatory democracy…
Obviously, the demise of our green recycling bins matter, with almost 10 000 signatures already on the Council hosted ePetition (how ick is that particular moniker?), which doesn’t close until May 13. This was one issue that spread like a virus through the pc’s of most Wellingtonians some weeks ago. I am unsure if there is a hard version of the petition as well…?
But, seeing as the Council magnanimously provides such a forum, we really should endeavour to make ourselves aware of the issues that are burning for our fellow citizens, and, in this very spirit, here are, along with the recycling bin issue, the current most significant matters… Read More
The link to the SST article that discusses the proposed RMA changes is not operating at the moment, but I did manage to find this from David Farrar at Kiwiblog:
February 1st, 2009 at 10:00 am
The SST reports on likely changes to the RMA. They are:
- enable local councils to make planning changes more quickly (currently takes six years on average)
- prevent companies using the law to stymie competition from rival firms
- no change to the environmental purposes of the act
- major projects could now be heard by a board of inquiry headed by an Environment Court judge or a retired judge
- local bodies could nominate people also to serve on the board
- limit the number of appeals that go further up the track
- increase the power of the courts to be able to ping players that have abused the RMA process
- maximum fine for breaches of RMA to increase from $200,000 to several million probably
In summary it is not about changing what projects get consent, just about speeding up the process which is insanely long at the moment.
What say you?
m-d