Gloomy vibe from infrastructure sector as RMA changes unveiled

A new survey says 'outlook not great' for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists

Mōrena, and welcome to The Bulletin for Wednesday, April 24.

In today’s edition: Reading cinema deal off for Wellington; report reveals NZ’s emergency management system not fit for purpose, transport minister encouraged to look at tolling existing roads, but first, the sector with a big role in getting the country ’back on track’ wants more certainty and RMA changes receive mixed reviews

First RMA changes announced

Most people are aware that New Zealand has an infrastructure deficit and that accelerated infrastructure investment and removing “red tape” and regulation in the name of economic growth is front and centre for the government. Chris Bishop is the minister for housing, infrastructure, and Resource Management Act reform. In a speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference late last month, Bishop said the prime minister views those portfolios as being closely connected. One of the things Bishop named as facilitating infrastructure delivery was RMA reform. Yesterday, the first tranche of changes to the Resource Management Act was announced. They remove some regulatory requirements for farming and mining, among other things. Notably, the requirement to comply with Te Mana o te Wai obligations (best understood as freshwater protections) to obtain resource consent has been removed. 

Government ‘ends war on farming’ say Federated Farmers

Farmers seem very happy with the changes, particularly the repeal of intensive winter grazing and stock exclusion regulations. Federated Farmers declared that the government had ended the “war on farming”. The Green party’s environment spokesperson Lan Pham, a freshwater ecologist said the changes would speed the decline of the natural world and fuel the climate crisis. “The repeal of winter grazing regulations will worsen the pollution in our waterways and increase the level of harm our animals are exposed to,” she said. Winding back  freshwater protections would accelerate the demise of rivers and lakes - with 45% rivers already unsafe to swim in, she said.

‘The vibes aren’t great’ — infrastructure sector

The new law, Resource Management Bill 1 (RM Bill 1), is expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. Bishop says the change will give certainty to councils and economic sectors and consent applicants, and sectors, including farming, mining and other primary industries. Certainty seems to be in demand at the moment, with the infrastructure sector citing a lack of it in a new survey, the upshot of which is surmised by BusinessDesk’s Oliver Lewis as “the vibes aren’t great” (paywalled). Survey respondents cite “the uncertainty created by big changes in political direction.” In the short term, when asked about the  ​​government signals to increase infrastructure investment over the next 12 months, only 33% held a highly or somewhat confident view. 49.63% were either highly or somewhat unconfident. The longer term view (three years) is slightly better, with 44.28% saying they are highly or somewhat confident about government investment signals. 

Question mark hanging over $6b infrastructure fund

It’s safe to say, a lot of people are waiting on certainty signals from the Budget, which will be delivered on May 30. Conveying a sense of certainty for the infrastructure sector wasn’t helped yesterday after a question mark emerged over the $6b National Resilience Plan. As the Herald’s Thomas Coughlan reports (paywalled), the government accidentally released the name of a Treasury paper (“Discontinuation of the National Resilience Plan”), revealing that it received advice on wrapping up the plan in February. The fund was established in the wake of last year’s extreme weather events to “build back better”. $2.8b has already been allocated but as Coughlan writes, there are question marks over what will happen to the remaining $3.2b.

As it’s ANZAC Day tomorrow, there won’t be a Bulletin, but I recommend this from James Graham and can tell you there will be plenty of reflective and thoughtful writing on The Spinoff tomorrow.

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Reading Cinema deal off in Wellington

As The Post’s Erin Gourley reports, there’s no real certainty around what happens next now that the deal the council was trying to make with Reading Cinema to buy the land underneath the cinema on Wellington’s Courtney Place isn’t going ahead. The money from the sale would have gone to the cinema’s multi-owners to redevelop the site as part of plans to reinvigorate the area. The site has long been described as an eyesore. Wellington City Council decided yesterday not go ahead with the controversial deal. Wellington mayor Tory Whanau said the outcome was “disappointing, but the right one”. As the Herald’s Georgina Campbell writes (paywalled), “If Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau’s previous predictions are anything to go by, the shut-up Reading Cinema building on Courtenay Place could now stay that way for many years.”

Report reveals emergency management system not ‘fit for purpose’

One of several reports and inquiries into the response to last year's severe weather events in the North Island has found New Zealand's emergency management system failed in places and is not fit for purpose. The inquiry, chaired by former Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, concludes the country is not ready to respond to large-scale emergencies. The inquiry found public warnings were either non-existent or insufficient, and the capability and capacity of civil defence staff and infrastructure was either overestimated or lacking. The report makes 14 recommendations, detailed here.

Click and Collect

• Transport minister being encouraged to look at tolling existing roads to relieve pressure on transport funding

• Te Papa will consult with te Tiriti experts, iwi and communities on a new permanent Te Tiriti exhibition to replace the old display, after removing the panel that was the subject of a protest in December.

• Vera Ellen wins the prestigious Taite Music Prize

• Australian PM labels Elon Musk “an arrogant billionaire who thinks he is above the law” in response to Musk criticising Australian authorities for directing Twitter/X to remove videos of last week’s Sydney church attack.

• Really moving read from Joanna Wane on the Herald on the closure of Tuesday Night Community Kai (paywalled), a community-run service where, as she writes “some of Auckland’s most invisible people found a home.”

  Feeling clever? Click here to play 1Q, Aotearoa’s newest, shortest daily quiz.

Right now on The Spinoff

Hayden Donnell suggests the Labour has forgotten they were in government as he assesses the party’s stance in opposition. Stewart Sowman-Lund takes a look at the state of the last government’s affordable housing scheme. Madeleine Chapman reviews the new Silo Theatre show, Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko. Gabi Lardies argues with Gabi Lardies about whether it's time to embrace shopping. A frugal charity director with two teens and two houses outlines how she’s saving for retirement and buying secondhand for the Cost of Being.

Sporting snippets

• Crusaders CEO backs new coach Rob Penney and takes “commentators” to task over what questions over Penney’s performance. The Herald’s Gregor Paul responds (paywalled).

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