Important update about RMA reform consultation 

Consultation on the new legislation to replace the Resource Management Act closes tomorrow (Friday 13 February) at 4.30pm.  

Why this is important 

• This is a once-in-a-generation chance to fix the legislation that shapes nearly all the regulation affecting farmers (for example freshwater rules, regional plans, Freshwater Farm Plans, stock exclusion, intensive winter grazing). 
• While B+LNZ supports the need to reform the RMA, particularly the Government’s intent to make the new framework more streamlined and practical and to have fewer consents for farmers and more permitted activities, the way the legislation is currently written does not match the Government’s intent and farmers could be worse off.  
• Significant changes to the legislation are needed. 
• This is a complex piece of legislation that was done at pace and it was inevitable that changes would be needed. 
• We have had a number of meetings this week with Ministers and MPs, and there is a willingness to make changes to the legislation to match their intent.   
• There is strong alignment across the entire agricultural sector about the need for major changes and what those need to be.  
• B+LNZ is making a submission on behalf of farmers (see below for more info on this) but if you haven’t already made a submission, we strongly encourage you to – it’s crucial the Government hears from the people this will affect. 

Summary of key areas of concern 

• Some of the wording in the Natural Environment Bill does not align with the Government’s intent. 
• The language is more stringent around setting and managing limits and would likely see the need for more consents, not less. 
• There are more requirements on permitted activities. 
• The scope of Ministerial powers and regional council powers is very wide. 
• There are issues with the role of, and amount of detail required for, Freshwater Farm Plans, and farmers would also need a consent/permit as well as a plan in many cases. 
• Things the Government want to introduce that we have concerns about. 
• We don’t support the introduction of market-based allocation or levies for resource use.  
• We have questions about the use of spatial plans in the rural and farming context and how regulatory relief will work in practice.  
• Issues arising between the two Bills. 
• The same farming activity will now fall between two Acts and could make the processes for farmers more complicated and costly. 
• Inconsistencies around long-lived infrastructure investment between the two Bills could affect irrigation. 
• Other things it would be good to fix in the RMA reform. 
• Current issues with the approach to stock drinking water. 
• The role of Water Conservation Orders.  
• Other issues. 
• The challenge of understanding this legislation in light of regional council reform. 

Make a submission 

We appreciate this is a complex area but any on-farm experiences you can share to show what effects the RMA has had, and what the issues are, will be incredibly valuable.  

We’ve created some resources to make it easier. Key links: 

• Read our webpage. This sets out a summary of key areas and contains all the links you’ll need such as a recording of B+LNZ’s recent webinar and general info on how to write a submission. 
• The Government’s consultation page is here – this is where you make a submission.  

More about B+LNZ’s submission  

• We’ve received an extension and will send our submission to the Select Committee on Friday 20 February. The extension was necessary given the scale of the issues and the importance of getting this right.  
• We will publish our submission on the B+LNZ website and let farmers know when it’s available.  
• Our submission is informed by farmer feedback. We’d like to thank the hundreds of farmers who completed our recent survey, which enabled us to test some of the issues. We’ve also been working with B+LNZ’s Environment Reference Group made up of Farmer Councillors. 
• The submission will acknowledge the importance of freshwater health to farmers, rural communities and New Zealand. It will stress that we want an enduring framework to manage this that is practical and achievable.  

We’ll continue to collaborate closely with other industry organisations and have further meetings planned with Ministers and officials to ensure we get this right.  

As always, please let me know if any questions.