Dr Nick Smith backs farmers over RMA shake-up

The growing number of resource consent applications not processed on time is symptomatic of councils do as I say and not as I do attitude.

“It is clear to us that Environment Minister, Dr Nick Smith, has sided with Federated Farmers by pointing to local authorities’ deficiencies in resource consent processing,” says Lachlan McKenzie, Federated Farmers Environment and RMA spokesperson.

“A whopping 31 percent of resource consent applications are not processed on time, according to the Environment Ministry’s biennial report on local authorities’ administration of the Resource Management Act (RMA).

“Another disturbing trend identified in the report is that councils are relying on statutory devices to extend these time frames. Further information requests, for example, have increased by a disturbing 90 percent in just 10 years.

“That’s why the Federation is pushing for changes to the RMA that will speed up and in some cases, eliminate the consent process for farmers.

“Councils must leave farming to the farmers and standard farm activities should not require a resource consent.

“Putting up a new boundary fence or even erecting a pump shed can require a resource consent for farmers in Queenstown and Banks Peninsula. That’s why the Federation is encouraging Government to eliminate the problem by ensuring councils restrict their use of consents.

“That way very little, if any, resource consent processing would be necessary, saving farmers and other ratepayers millions of dollars.

“What we don’t want is for councils to claim they cannot fulfil their obligations due to a lack of staff. This is just not true. The fact that Environment Canterbury processes just 29 percent of its applications on time points more towards incompetence and mismanagement rather than understaffing.