Dear Ministry for the Environment,

With decision-making under the Resource Management Act primarily undertaken at local and regional levels, it is important that these bodies have adequate National framework/policies to use as a yardstick when measuring potential adverse environmental effects in resource consent proposals. Unfortunately, when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, New Zealand still does not have a National Policy Standard.

Regional authorities are barred by sections 104E and 70A of the Resource Management Act from considering the negative effects of climate change when creating rules or dealing with discharge permits and resource consents to take or use non-renewable resources. The reasoning being that we are awaiting a national policy on climate change so a consistent national approach to greenhouse gas reduction can be achieved.

As a result, regional authorities decision-making powers in relation to resource consents are limited to the potential positive effects of renewable energy (as opposed to negative effects caused by using non-renewable resources). This creates a large inconsistency between the purpose of sustainable management inherent in the RMA and how the RMA works in practice.

In short:

1) What steps have the Government taken in alleviating this inconsistency?

2) Why do we still not have a National Policy Statement on Climate Change and greenhouse gas emissions?

3) Can we expect a National Policy Statement on Climate Change and greenhouse gas emissions in the near future?

Yours faithfully,

Nathan de Lautour