1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Barry Sopa is here right now, Senior political correspondent, Barry. 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: Good afternoon, Good afternoon, right hey, just a text to 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 1: kick us off, Barry says, Hi, Ryan, we knew the 4 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: government we're going to replace the RMA, so today is 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: just an announcement of an announcement to say it's still 6 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: two years away. Is that that's from Lloyd? Is that right? 7 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 2: Well, well know, Lloyd, and fairness to the government today 8 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 2: and the Prime Minister and his cohorts have just got 9 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 2: off a stage as I walked into the studio here. 10 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 2: It's we did know that they were going to change 11 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 2: the RMA, but this was cabinet signing off the two 12 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 2: pieces of legislation that they'll have in place to do that. 13 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 2: So that's that's what they've decided today. But look, you're 14 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 2: right to an extent, we've heard so much about the RMA. 15 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 2: This is not to be confused with the fast track 16 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 2: legislation because that's already gone through and that's but essentially 17 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 2: in many cases by passing the ROMA anyway, And look, 18 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 2: this was written this act way back in nineteen ninety one. 19 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 2: I remember it as in Parliament at the time. Mold 20 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 2: Jeffrey Palmer. He was the Prime Minister and also the 21 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 2: Environment Minister when he wrote this piece of legislation, which 22 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 2: is now one thousand pages long. I found it interesting 23 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 2: some of the opening comments of the Prime Minister and 24 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 2: the people that were on stage with him. Essentially they 25 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,919 Speaker 2: were talking about the changes. That was the Prime Minister, 26 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 2: the Infrastructure Minister, Chris Bishop, and the Under Secretary Act 27 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 2: Simon Court. Here they are in that order. Have a listen. 28 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 3: RIMA has enabled a cottage industry of lawyers and consultants 29 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:44,839 Speaker 3: drafting thousands of pages of papers and reports, all designed 30 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 3: to block new roads, new wind farms, new apartments in 31 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 3: our central cities, and farming in rural New Zealand. It's 32 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 3: the culture of no that I spoke about earlier in 33 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 3: the year brought to life. Keiwi's are sick of it. 34 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 3: I'm sick of it. We're all sick of it, and 35 00:01:57,480 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 3: now we're taking action right now. 36 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 4: Every individual count the New Zealand determines the technical rules 37 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 4: of each of their zones. Across New Zealand. There are 38 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 4: one thousand, one hundred and seventy five different kinds of zones. 39 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:15,119 Speaker 4: In the entirety of Japan, which uses standardized zoning. There 40 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 4: are thirteen. These are one hundred and seventy five different 41 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 4: sets of technical zoning rules in a country the size 42 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 4: of New Zealand. Our view is that it's totally nuts. 43 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 4: There is really no legitimate justification for the maximum building 44 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 4: height in a residential zone to be eight meters in 45 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 4: Capiti and nine meters Indoneta. 46 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 5: It's one point three billion annually spent on consenting, according 47 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 5: to the Infrastructure Commission. At a recent peak around forty 48 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 5: thousand consents we're demanded in a year. Most of the 49 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 5: stuff we've been doing for years. We know how to 50 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 5: do earthworks. We know how to install a culvert under 51 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 5: a road. We know how to build a wastewater treatment 52 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:54,519 Speaker 5: plant while protecting the environment. 53 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 2: You know, those three statements to me summed up why 54 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 2: this Act is absolutely a dog's breakfast. How on earth 55 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 2: do you interpret one zone from another zone by bureaucrats, 56 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 2: which are the council officers sitting in there behind their desks. 57 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 2: You know, people demanding because they have to under the Act. 58 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 2: That many applications in a year over forty thousand. I mean, 59 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 2: you know, the country's gone mad. It's run by rules 60 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 2: and regulation. You can't get rid of some of them. 61 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 2: We're not going to progress at all. 62 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: No, the problem they'll have, though it's already be able 63 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: to come out and say this, but the problem I'll 64 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: have is passing this legislation and then keeping the legislation 65 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: once they've gone. 66 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 2: Well, yes, well that's true. Labor did change make changes 67 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 2: to the RMA, and it was in fact old David 68 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 2: Parker that came up with the idea of the fast track. 69 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 2: So and he's been credited with it rather sarcastically in 70 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 2: the house day after day. But labor had started. But 71 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 2: this is I think the real reform. And unfortunately no 72 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 2: people go oh, for God's sake, And our listener said, 73 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 2: we don't see it until twenty twenty seven. Normally changed 74 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 2: like this takes more than two or even three years. 75 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 2: So they are moving pretty quickly. 76 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: Winston. Peter's in his State of the Nation at the weekend. 77 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 1: Few protesters as well. From I mean, it was taking back. 78 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: It was every man and his dog, wasn't it. 79 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 2: Well he would have loved it, Winston. And it reminded 80 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 2: me just watching the meeting that he was speaking to 81 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 2: Rob Muldoon many many years ago, and some of your 82 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 2: listeners might remember. It was in the Dunedin Town Hall 83 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 2: and Rob was pointing at people in the audience, telling 84 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 2: the police get rid of them, get rid of them. 85 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 2: The cops would move and would be fighting. And I 86 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 2: remember there were three none standing the well. They were 87 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 2: at the front of the mezzanine floor and they all 88 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 2: of a sudden stood and beard their breasts. 89 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: I want to do. 90 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 2: They weren't nuns, of course, they were making a point. 91 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 2: But look, Winston loves this like Muldoon loved it because 92 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 2: you can pick them out. And the thing is that 93 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 2: he had anticipated the disruption because in his speech notes 94 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 2: it was sort of written in you know, that's how communist, fascist, 95 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 2: anti democratic losers work, and that's how they look, you know. 96 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 2: I mean, it's all there. So it was lovely and 97 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 2: pre orchestrated for Winston. I think the protesters did him 98 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 2: a great favor. 99 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, they looked nutty too, did they. We now very 100 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:36,239 Speaker 1: quickly with the Dunedan cultural spend that's brought the attention 101 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: of the taxpayersing into it. 102 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 2: It's a PR consultancy in the city and it's an 103 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:48,919 Speaker 2: EWE owned consultancy firm. Over the past three years they've spent. 104 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 2: The council has one point three sixty five million dollars 105 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 2: on advice and it's the ratepayers of the Taxpayers Union 106 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: who have put it out. I'm sure the rate Payers 107 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:02,040 Speaker 2: Union should be looking at it as well. But items 108 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 2: like more than one hundred thousand on the Harbor City 109 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 2: cycle Way cultural interpretation, so that's not even for the 110 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 2: building of it, it's giving them advice on the cultural 111 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 2: aspect to it. The George Street design work another one 112 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 2: hundred grand. The council basically told the consultancy firm gave 113 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 2: them seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars for handouts to 114 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 2: clubs and groups. You know, if I was a rate 115 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 2: payer in that town spending another seventeen and a half 116 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 2: percent on our rates this year, got on the Taxpayers 117 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 2: Union for bringing it to the four. 118 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: Thanks very much, Barry. Barry Sopis Senior put a correspondent. 119 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 5: For more from hither Duplessy Allen Drive. 120 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 2: Listen live to news talks. 121 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 122 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.