RMA Needs Overhaul - Survey

The cost of the Resource Management Act has been slammed again in a survey of farmers, said Don Nicolson, vice-president of Federated Farmers of New Zealand.



Results specific to Federated Farmers’ members polled in 2007 Business NZ-KPMG Compliance Cost Survey rank the RMA as the second worst compliance cost, rising from third place last year.



As expected, tax compliance costs remained in the top spot as a priority issue.



“We have been saying for years that the RMA is causing significant compliance costs for farmers and many others in the community, but the government hasn’t been listening. It must wake up to the fact that the RMA is not working and must be improved”, said Mr Nicolson.



The 2007 Business NZ-KPMG Compliance Cost Survey reinforces the findings of another independent survey earlier this year. The survey by Research New Zealand found that 73 percent of farmers with some experience of the RMA believed that the Act and how local councils apply it should be changed. Only three percent were happy with the RMA.



Improving the RMA and its processes has been a priority project for the Federation since 2006.



“The Federation is working tirelessly to persuade the government of the need to fix the RMA, and both these survey results add weight to our arguments,” said Mr Nicolson.



For a full run down on the ‘six-pack’ of RMA problems and solutions, go to www.fedfarm.org.nz/RMAproject.html