For example: the RMA Amendment Bill, led by the Ministry for Environment, the Productivity Commission, under Treasury direction, which is formally reviewing New Zealand’s system of urban planning; Local Government NZ has recently released its “Blue Skies: Planning and Resource Management” thinkpiece which reviews the performance of the RMA and provides many ideas for the future; and the National Council for Infrastructure Development has provided policy advice after a close examination of urban and renewal planning in Australia and the UK.
In short, there is an appetite for significant legislative change. It is NZPI’s intention to inform and take a leadership role in the national debate that will follow release of the RMA Amendment Bill and the ‘Better Urban Planning’ Inquiry underway by the Productivity Commission. As always the deadlines for formal submissions on both of these documents are tight but NZPI has moved quickly over the summer break to survey members and provide some initial analysis and recommendations that can help inform and solicit a second call for member feedback.
The first document, titled ‘NZPI RMA Amendments Bill Preliminary Response‘ relates to the proposed RMA Amendments Bill. In that document, NZPI has assessed the Bill clause by clause and found that whilst there are a number of clauses that we believe our members will support, there are also a number of more controversial clauses that our members will wish to challenge. Overall, we query the wisdom of introducing the Bill at the same time when a more holistic review of the planning system within New Zealand is underway via the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into Better Urban Planning. NZPI is intent on making a submission on the proposed amendments to the Select Committee in the first quarter of 2016. We will also be contacting sister Institutes and organisations to test where there might be an opportunity for mutual support of submissions. It is vital that the submission be informed by our members views so we encourage you to read the paper (click here) and provide feedback to our Senior Policy Officer prior to 10 February, 2016. Contact details are available within the document.
NZPI Queries Underlying Principles of Inquiry into Better Urban Planning
The second document, titled ‘NZPI Queries Underlying Principles of Inquiry into Better Urban Planning‘ relates to the Inquiry into Better Urban Planning currently underway by the Productivity Commission. The document is a thinkpiece which queries the underlying principles of the Inquiry and hopefully stimulates debate within our membership, it is not, nor pretends to be, a detailed response to the Inquiry. That has yet to be developed by NZPI. Again, NZPI is intent on making a submission to the Inquiry and again, the deadline is tight. It is important that the submission be informed by members views so we encourage you to read the paper (click here) and provide feedback to our Senior Policy Officer prior to 10 February, 2016. Contact details are available within the document.
In anticipation of your feedback/thoughts on both the RMA Amendments and Inquiry into Better Urban Planning NZPI many thanks.
