Environment Minister David Parker has today released the first draft of the proposed law that will replace the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) as part of the resource management system reform.
The exposure draft, which outlines key aspects of the Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA), was also referred by Parliament to the select committee inquiry today.
Covering land use and environmental regulation, the NBA is the primary replacement for the RMA which the Government has promised to repeal and replace.
An opportunity for early public feedback on the draft legislation
The select committee inquiry for the exposure draft is expected to run for around three months and the public will be invited to make submissions on the exposure draft of the new Bill during this time. Once the select committee has commenced, information on how to make a submission will be available here.
Allowing people an opportunity to provide feedback on a draft of the legislation at this stage ensures that the final Bill is as robust as possible when it is presented, along with the proposed Strategic Planning Act (SPA), to parliament in early 2022. A second select committee process will be held at that time.
“The initial select committee inquiry is a novel way to provide an open and transparent platform for the public to have an early say on this key legislation,” said Environment Minister David Parker.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity to get this right, so we want to make sure we do get it right.”
The Natural and Built Environments Act exposure draft
The exposure draft for the NBA does not cover the full Bill, instead it provides an early look at key aspects of this legislation including:
The document is divided into three categories: