Dunedin hotel project death a symbol of the RMA

This is one we know about: a project stopped dead in its very expensive tracks by council intransigence – a council exercising their absolute powers under the Resource Management Act and Local Government Act, finally frustrating a property owner beyond reason.

Dunedin $100m waterfront hotel plans scrapped
Plans for a $100 million waterfront hotel in Dunedin have been scrapped and the developers' partnership with the Dunedin City Council has descended into acrimony.
    Hotel developer Jing Song yesterday confirmed she had torn up a memorandum of understanding with the council, signed just last month, which had aimed to find ways to progress the project…
    [Mrs Song] would not be drawn on the cost of three years' work, having previously said the bill stood at more than $1 million.
    She was also not able to say yet what would happen to the company's Environment Court appeal, lodged - but later placed on hold - after resource consent for the original 27-storey hotel was rejected in June last year.
    ''I think we've probably thrown all our eggs in one basket by trusting the council so much,'' she said.

This failure and the time and expense of it can be seen.

How many other projects are similarly stillborn because of the RMA, or never contemplated, and remain completely unseen.