Article – Property and Build The Government has released the first draft of the Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA), one of the proposed laws meant to replace the cumbersome Resource Management Act (RMA) which has stunted New Zealands ability to build more houses. Reforming …
The Government has released the first draft of the Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA), one of the proposed laws meant to replace the cumbersome Resource Management Act (RMA) which has stunted New Zealand’s ability to build more houses.
Reforming the Resource Management Act has been seen as a once in a generation opportunity to improve New Zealand’s ability to deliver more housing. While some are praising the Government for taking action, others say the Government has just squandered that opportunity.
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Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group co-chairman Gerrard Albert, who is also chairman of Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui, the Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River) post-settlement governance entity, says the draft includes Te Oranga o te Taiao, a concept intended to express the intergenerational importance to Māori of environmental wellbeing. “Te Oranga o te Taiao, which is something the ILG Freshwater has promoted, centralises a relationship around decision-making over natural resources with hapū and iwi. “If it gets through the legislation process, it’s a reasonable way to view natural resources, to have us (meaning tiaki whenua, mana whenua, tangata whenua, iwi, hapū) intimately involved – and that’s what Te Awa Tupua does, it establishes that actually you can’t move without the hapū and iwi, the mana at place, having a say.”
Stronger recognition of Māori environmental views and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the first draft of the new resource management law is a step in the right direction but won t by itself create the change needed, a Whanganui iwi leader says.
Gerrard Albert: Relationship is critical. it s moving with the people rather than moving instead of them.
Photo: LDR / Supplied
Environment Minister David Parker released a consultation draft this week introducing the proposed Natural and Built Environments Act, which covers land use and environmental regulation to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA).
Māori views on the critical relationship between the natural environment, people and wellbeing are front and centre in the draft legislation.
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