Canterbury mayors disappointed by submission timeframe

The two bills are a major part of the Government’s attempts to reform the Resource Management Act.

Submissions on the two bills end on 30 January 2023. However, in a letter sent last month to Parliamentary Environment Committee chair Eugenie Sage, Canterbury Mayoral Forum chair and Timaru district mayor Nigel Bowen describes that timeframe as “wholly and utterly inadequate”, saying it will prevent local government from having input on the two pieces of legislation.

“We request the Committee urgently revisit its decision and extend the submission timeframe to at least the end of February 2023,” the letter reads.

The Canterbury Mayoral Forum is made up of the mayors of the ten territorial authorities in Canterbury and the chair of Environment Canterbury.

“We simply will not get it right if the submission timeframe remains as it is – legislation of this significance and consequence is too important to rush,” he says.

The letter notes that much of the submission timeframe covers the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

“Most councils will have their last meeting of the year in early or mid-December, and do not reconvene until later in January. Indeed, Parliament itself closes for a similar timeframe.”

Bowen also notes that the current Resource Management Act excludes 20 December – 10 January as working days.

“It is a time of year when it is accepted that processes slow or sometimes just stop, and people take a deserved break.”

The letter states that if the holiday period is removed from the submission timeframe, there is little time left to properly consider the legislation.

“Comprehensive and effective submissions will not be able to be completed, even if our chief executives ask staff to work over the holiday period to prepare submissions.

“2022 has been a challenging year for all New Zealanders, building upon the challenges already faced from the previous two years, and we consider council staff wellbeing would be put at risk should they be asked to work over this period to meet the Committee’s current timeframes,” Bowen writes.

“We cannot reiterate enough just how significant the change in resource management legislation is and the impact on local government.”

Bowen says that sentiment has been articulated throughout the Forum’s submissions on the reform, including submissions on the exposure draft last year.

“We strongly urge you to give communities adequate time to consider and provide feedback on these two incredibly important pieces of legislation by extending the submission period to the end of February.”