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Opposition to a sweeping overhaul of environmental law began to take shape yesterday as new rules began their shortened journey through Parliament.
Environment Minister Nick Smith introduced the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Bill - a package of more than 100 changes aimed at speeding up resource consents and changes to local planning rules - amid grumbling from opposition MPs about the short time they had to read it.
Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons, who like other MPs received the first version of the bill on Wednesday night, told Parliament she was concerned the select committee would have just over four months to consider the changes.
Among them are several that won support on both sides of the House, including beefing up fines and penalties for people who break the law; a new rule that will make government departments subject to their own environmental laws; and incentives for councils to speed up decisions on rules and resource consents.
But changes that could remove people's rights to take part in environmental decisions were met with suspicion by Labour and Green MPs.
Labour Party environment spokeswoman Nanaia Mahuta said Labour MPs sitting on the select committee would listen carefully to concerns about public participation rights.
Dr Smith was criticised at a workshop of the Environment Defence Society yesterday over his plans to limit appeal rights and raise the cost of lodging Environment Court appeals.
Cath Wallace, co-chairwoman of Environment and Conservation Organisations, said the changes amounted to a huge erosion of community rights and would lead to a "presumption of secrecy" in development decisions.
Dr Smith said the new rules would not change the law's focus on environmental effects.
