New Zealand's Green Plan at the Crossroads
Leo Koziol
In May 1997, I visited New Zealand to assess progress in regard to the implementation and development of its green plan, the Resource Management Act (RMA). I met with people in the government, academic, and NGO (non-governmental organization) sectors, and found a nation at an important crossroads in the implementation of its innovative environmental policies.
New Zealand is one of a handful of nations that leads the world in the development of innovative approaches to environmental management. In the late 1980s, the government replaced a maze of legislation with one act-the Resource Management Act-which at its heart focuses on the sustainable management of the natural environment. This legislative reform process was dubbed Resource Management Law Reform (RMLR). Alongside RMLR was a massive process of local government restructuring, with the aim of increased efficiencies and accountabilities, improved clarity of roles and responsibilities, and setting of long term goals.
The restructuring process reduced 800 units of local government down to 93, including 14 politically-elected regional EPA-type agencies with boundaries based upon watersheds. The change that resulted was dramatic. For example, subsidies for agriculture were completely removed, with resultant decreases in pesticide and fertilizer inputs. So how has New Zealand's green plan fared half a decade down the track since the passing of the RMA? In my discussions with the nation's environmental leaders, a number of key themes emerged that collectively attest to the evolution of New Zealand's dynamic green plan:
The RMA has placed a fast learning curve upon politicians and staff of local governments alike. NGOs have an important role in improving discourse as the green plan progresses, yet they remain under-resourced and threatened by the implications of court case costs. But overall, the RMA is part of a longer term 30 year culture change. The majority of people interviewed felt the outlook remains positive.
New Zealand's green plan is an important example of innovative environmental management from which people around the world can learn from. It shares important elements with other green plans elsewhere in the world (such as the Netherlands), in particular a consensus building process between NGOs, community, government, and business. It tells an significant and unique story of how important changes can be made toward a more sustainable future for communities, the economy, and the environment.
In April 1998, an important review of New Zealand's environmental legislation commenced. A report commissioned by the Environment Minister, Simon Upton, was released to stimulate national discussion of the Resource Management Act and its associated implementation frameworks. The report is a 'think-piece' written by Owen McShane which reviews the RMA, particularly focusing on its inherited role of land use planning. This report is available on the internet at the Minister's website: http://www.arcadia.co.nz.
Although the report is highly critical of particular aspects of RMA, Simon Upton has stated that the founding principles of sustainable management are not up for review. In an April speech to planning professionals, he said "...there will be no change to the purpose of the Act, to the control of bio-physical environmental effects, or to matters of national importance". An extensive consultation process has begun, to be facilitated by the nation's planning, legal, and surveying professions, with a closing date for submissions of 30 June 1998.