Perspective with Ryan Bridge: These RMA changes hit the nail on the head

These RMA changes hit the nail on the head by putting private property rights front and centre.

These rights are basically what keeps rich countries rich and their absence keeps poor countires poor.

If a council wants to infringe on them, it should compensate you for it. And these changes lower the threshold for compensation, which is a good thing.

Want to suddenly invent a Significant Natural Area or label something 'heritage'? Well, that may cost you, Councillor.

It'll make councils think twice before imposing some of this stupid stuff on property owners. We've had too examples of councils just making these up and restricting land use on a whim. On an airy fairy idea.

The reason property rights are so important is simple. You use your land as collateral to borrow. To build. To invest. Owning acts as an incentive to build assets. It creates growth and production.

This production is then taxed. The taxes pay for nice, communal things that everybody likes. Like classrooms and hospitals.

What we need now is for politicians to stick to this plan. And not mess with it.

The new bills will pass first reading next week, and the first bits will come into effect by the end of 2026.

Half the consents currently required will no longer be needed.

Anyone who's been through the consenting process will be celebrating this.

But only if the changes stick. Only if Labour promises not to touch them. Because this is not our first rodeo.

Remember, it was Labour who first repealed the RMA and replaced it with 2 new bills. 900 pages long.

The Coalition got in and one of the first things they did was ri[ it up.

We reverted back to the RMA.

Now the Coalition's bills are out. 900 pages.

The test of how long they remain law is not lasting another term of Coalition, but a first term of Labour, whenever that may be.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
These RMA changes hit the nail on the head today
by putting private property rights front and center. These rights
are basically what keeps rich countries rich and their absence
keeps poor countries poor. If a council wants to infringe
on them, it should compensate you for it, and these
changes basically lower the threshold for compensation, which is a
good thing. If you want to suddenly invent as significant

(00:23):
natural area or label something heritage, well, that may cost
you counselor it'll make councils think twice before imposing some
of this stupid stuff on property owners. We've had too
many examples of councils just making these things up in
restricting land use on a whim, on an airy fairy idea.
The reason that private property rights are so important is

(00:44):
quite simple. You use your land as collosteral to borrow,
to build, to invest. Owning acts as an incentive to
build assets. It creates growth and production, and this production
is then taxed. The taxes pay for nice things, communal
things like hospitals and classrooms. What we need now is

(01:05):
for politicians to actually stick to this plan and not
mess with it. The new bills will pass first reading
next week, and the first bits will come into effect
by the end of next year, all going to plan.
Half the consents currently required will no longer be needed.
Anyone who's been through the consenting process is going to
be celebrating that today. But only if the changes stick,

(01:26):
only if Labor promises not to touch them. Because this
is not our first rodeo. Remember it was Labour who
first repealed the RMA, replaced it with two new bills
that was nine hundred pages long. The Coalition got in
and one of the first things they did was rip
it all up. We reverted back to the RIMA, which
is where we are now. And now the coalition's bills

(01:48):
are out. They're seven hundred and fifty pages long. The
test of how long they remain low is not lasting
another term of coalition, but a first term of a
Labor government, whenever that may be. For more from hither
Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd be
from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.