Friday 8 August 2014

Time to stick a stake through the heart of the Resource Management Act

Whose_Bloody_Land_is_it_Anyway

I’ve waited twenty f’ing years for a mainstream politician to say this, and when they finally do it’s when their party is heading down the gurgler. But at least it’s finally being said:

Resource Management Act - It’s a failure - time to chuck it out – start again

"It is time the politicians admitted the RMA is a failure." said ACT Leader Dr Jamie Whyte. "

National's Nick Smith has promised another series of minor amendments to the RMA saying the law is holding back the country's economy.

He is just tinkering with a wreck.

No one thinks these amendments to Marine reserves and the like will overcome the problems of cost, delay and green tape that now effects all property owners,

When National passed the Resource Management Act in the early 1990’s the country was promised faster more streamlined planning.

That promise has been forgotten by both Labour and National.. 

The RMA is been used by local councils to extend more and more entangling regulations giving Council’s powers that parliament never intended.

ACT believes Parliament should admit it is a [23] year experiment that has failed and we should start again using the common law as the basis for environmental protections.

It’s not like it would be difficult. Enact a codification of basic common law principles protecting basic property rights, and you’re away.

But it makes me wonder why every single ACT Party leader until this one lacked the fricking spine to ever say even this much.

5 comments:

Dinther said...

They might go down the gurgler but if you can get over the fact that the only thing remaining seems to be the name of the party then why not vote for them. It is either not voting or Act. National hasn't deserved my vote.

Terry said...

Could it be that it has taken 23 years because there are now enough people who have a vested interest by way of privilege in retaining the RMA, and so few who have the critical thinking skills to understand (or even care) how the Act works against their interests, that it safe now to call for its repeal without risking sufficient people voting for it to be repealed? That and Dr Whyte's gumption.

Anonymous said...

Maybe because it was ACT politicians who drafted the bill. Ken Shirley (e.g.)when in Labour was trying to introduce Resource Management before losing in an election.
Steve

Peter Cresswell said...

Ah yeah. There is that.

Mind you, that's no excuse for their next ten years.

Sam P said...

Now all you need is a commitment to fund a production of the Ring Cycle in NZ. :)

Simple answer, re: past ACT leaders, is that they thought RMA was generally an OK thing.