The government is suspending councils' requirement to comply with the significant natural areas provisions in the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity.
Associate environment minister Andrew Hoggard announced on Thursday that the significant natural areas provisions (SNA) provisions would be suspended for three years while the government works on replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA).
Hoggard said that SNAs identified on private property limited new activities and development, which represented “a confiscation of property rights” and undermined conservation efforts by the people who cared most about the environment – “the people who make a living from it”.
Before becoming an Act party MP, Hoggard was a dairy farmer and served as president of Federated Farmers between 2020 and 2023.
Making change ASAP
He said the government proposed making the changes as soon as possible to ensure councils and communities didn’t waste resources and effort implementing national direction requirements that might change following a review.
It is one of several changes to environmental and planning law announced in the coalition agreement that Environmental Defence Society chief executive Gary Taylor warned would result in a flurry of legal challenges.
All councils have had to protect areas with significant indigenous biodiversity since the RMA was introduced in 1991.
Hoggard said this requirement remains in place and isn’t affected by the suspension, but he has asked for a broader review covering existing SNAs.
He said the 180,000 hectares of privately owned land in voluntary QEII National Trust covenants showed that private landowners did care about conservation.
“This government will be taking a collaborative approach with them rather than undermining their rights.”
