Thomas Coughlan: NZ Herald deputy political editor on the Government's plan to axe and replace the RMA

There's hope a new-look Resource Management Act will make building easier for Kiwis.

 Minister Chris Bishop's revealed two laws will replace the old system - one to manage environmental effects arising from activities, and another to enable urban development and infrastructure.

NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan says the Government's moved quickly with these proposed changes - but will need extra time to process things.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
EDB join us now is New Zealand Herald Deputy Political
editor Thomas Coughlin. Good morning, Thomas, good morning. How would
you feel about a four year term?

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Not ready for me to take a view in it.
I certainly the merits of a four year term have
been articulated quite convincingly by politicians in the last few years.
But at the same time, you know that they often
complain about the fact that that three years is too
short to get anything substantive done, and you know, you
do see a bit of that. But but on the

(00:44):
other hand, you know that they have a unicameral parliament
and they can really do whatever they like with that parliament.
I mean, you saw this week the government wanted a
late addition to this Gang's Bill, which which which brushed
up again some pretty serious human rights concerns. So they
brought aback a bill back from the final stage, brought
it back to committee stage, immun is it in committee

(01:05):
stage and pass it or in a couple of days.
You know that they have a lot of advantages that
those other legis, such as happened out. The Americans have
four years, but obviously they've got a completely divided political system,
so they sort of need it, Whereas in New Zealand
you could you could change the whole country in a
couple of hours if you wanted to, with the power
that that that our parliament has. So I think there

(01:27):
are questions around giving giving politicians another year of that
fairly unbridled power, whether they whether they really need it,
whether they should just use this the three years that
they've already got better.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
Just work better, that's what you're saying, Thomas, Just work better.
Do you have a feeling do do you think no
New Zealanders are ready for this refund? Are open to
the conversation?

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Had to know.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
I haven't seen any recent polling on it. I think
it's gone too referendums, one of the one of them
in a long time ago, and it's failed both times.
So if it does go to a referendum and the
politicians don't put some some concessions on the table, I
think it's pretty hard to see it passing again. But
we'll see.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
Right well, the government might need four years to x
the ARIMA and replace it with two new laws. What's
going on here.

Speaker 3 (02:19):
Yes, this is the third time since twenty nineteen that
someone's proposed acting the RAMA and replacing it with two laws.
And in fact, Labor did act the RAMA and replace
it with two laws with the current governments, then X
those replacements brought back with RM and is now replacing
it with two laws. So these two laws are different
from Labors two laws. They're going to be focused on

(02:40):
property rights. One of them will deal with environmental the
environmental effects of stuff a bit like the RMA does. Now.
We haven't got a lot of detail about how it
will do that, but property rights are going to be
at the center of it, and then the other one
will be more of an urban development pro development piece
of legislation. So we don't we know the vague trust
of where they're heading with us, but we haven't seen

(03:02):
legislation yet. That's appointed a working group to sort of
iron out the details again that they're planning to move
pretty quickly with it. They want they want new legislation
in place for the of the parliaments, which you know,
given and we only have a three year term as
rapidly approaching certainly.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
Look very quickly. There was some tension in the House
around Mary language week this week.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
Yes, yes, there was, I mean there were there was
a bit of tension in the House around a fair
bit of stuff. There's some some tension that I think
the government was sort of Johnny come lately regarding Maori
language use. That was evident on Monday when when when
Paul Goldsman sort of trotted out of Sucker Tokey despite

(03:46):
having gotten into hot water about his not using Malory's salutations.
And there's there's been a bit of controversy this this
year in general around the way that that Maori questions
are used in the House and and translated in and
and MPs, which back and forth, which is it's a

(04:07):
funny controversy because we've had we've had Malordi translation in
the house sometimes now I think it's until the nineties.
So it's sort of interesting that it's it's bubbling to
the floor at the moment that I can't see it's
really becoming to two controversials already in my mainstream issues.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
Thank you so much, Thomas.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
Good to catch up for more from the Sunday session
with Francesca Rudkin. Listen live Ton News Talks It b
from nine am Sunday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio