Wagner Nicky: Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill — Procedure Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Wagner Nicky: Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill — Procedure Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:657;Page:6242] 
NICKY WAGNER (National) 
: 
 It has been a most interesting debate today. It has been particularly interesting considering the breadth and complexity of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill that only a very small number of issues have been contentious. The debating points have focused mostly on trees. The vast majority of the issues in the bill have been non-contentious and are supported by the majority of the House. 
All parties even the Green Party have indicated that they support the streamlining and simplification of the Resource Management Act. Everyone is aware of the dangers to the environment of lengthy and expensive planning and consenting processes. If we are to protect our environment and manage our natural resources well we need processes that are flexible and responsive in order to manage environmental issues as they arise. 
I reiterate that although the bill is phase one of a wider Resource Management Act reform the Resource Management Act will still be the principal statute for protecting and managing natural resources in New Zealand. There are no changes to the purposes or principles of the Act and there are no reductions in environmental protection in the bill. But it does provide for significant improvements in the implementation of the principles behind the legislation. The bill provides a suite of amendments that will make planning more effective more efficient quicker and less costly. 
The bill has been through a very robust select committee process. Significant amendments have been made to the original bill and it is better for those changes. We have listened to submitters and we have dropped several of the original provisions. We will not be removing non-complying activities we will not be limiting appeals to plans to points of law and we have deferred changes to decision making for designations. 
We have also amended several of the provisions of the original bill in order to improve outcomes. We have amended and improved the discount policy for late processing of resource consents and we have modified the “stop the clock” provision for requests for further information in the consenting process. The bill has also made changes to further submissions on council planning documents that will speed up the process and reduce the workload of councils but still ensure that those who may be affected by matters raised in a submission will retain their right to a fair hearing. The original bill proposed to scrap the review of district plans every 10 years but after debate this bill now proposes rolling reviews. A significant number of technical amendments and improvements have also been made to the bill during the select committee process. I thank the expert advisory group for its help and advice in this area. 
The major debating point today has been about trees. I will add just one final comment from the perspective of a resident of Christchurch which is a very pleasant and leafy city without blanket tree protection regulations. I like other MPs have received numerous emails about trees. There seems to be real confusion in Auckland. Many people there seem to be confused about which trees will be affected by clause 52 of the bill. Clause 52 affects only trees on private property. The trees on public roads reserves and parks are all controlled by councils not by private individuals. Therefore those trees are unaffected by clause 52. I also note that in terms of scheduling trees for protection there is an ability to schedule groups of trees as well as individual trees. 
I received a particularly interesting email from an Aucklander who acknowledged that Christchurch had plenty of trees but believed that Christchurch was not protecting them properly because there were not enough native trees in the city. I had to gently remind her that the city of Christchurch was established on a grassy swampy plain with only the odd clump of cabbage trees. Almost every tree in Christchurch has been planted by its citizens which illustrates that most New Zealanders plant many more trees than they ever cut down and that Parliament should trust New Zealanders to protect and manage the trees on their properties. 
I am delighted to support the bill. I am delighted to see it pass into law. It will streamline and simplify the Resource Management Act and that will benefit both the environment and all New Zealanders. Thank you.