Greens claim victory after climate change rules added to RMA
A legal loophole that allowed consents for large climate polluting projects to be granted without consideration of environmental impacts has been closed. Changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) passed their final reading on Thursday, meaning consents for large projects can be declined if they will have significant climate change implications. Previously, under the RMA, decision-makers could not decline projects like coal mines and fossil fuel power stations, even if they thought the climate impacts were problematic and should be considered. Climate Change Minister and Green Party co-leader James Shaw said the passing of the Resource Management Amendment Bill was one of the most significant policy changes to address climate change made this parliamentary term. READ MORE: * Jobs or the environment - will the Govt have to choose? * A push for new coal mines amid 'alarming' fast-tracking of infrastructure * 'I will miss her dearly': Former Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons has died The party has long called out the loophole, with former co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons having a members bill on the issue and campaigning for change up until her death last year, he said. "She, and other former and current Green MPs, particularly Gareth Hughes, raised this as an ongoing problem that needed solving. We are so glad in Government to have got it sorted. This aligns with our net zero carbon ambitions and will ultimately result in a safer planet for future generations. Environment Minister David Parker said the bill makes crucial environmental improvements to the RMA, particularly for freshwater. [The bill] reduces complexity, increases certainty in the RMA and makes significant improvements to environmental outcomes," he said. As well as speeding up the process for regional freshwater plan changes, it introduces mandatory, enforceable farm environment plans and requires fertiliser sales to be reported on a regional basis. The bill also increases infringement fees for polluters, increases timeframes for councils to file prosecution charges, and gives the Environmental Protection Authority new enforcement powers. The changes will come into effect when government has developed national policy guidelines.