Resource management reform: have your say now

Resource management reform: have your say now

The Government has replaced the Resource Management Act with two new laws that do not properly recognise angling, game bird hunting, or the habitats our species depend on.

The debate is not over, and there is a real chance to shape what comes next.

Fish & Game has made this case at every stage, and we are not stopping now. This is a moment for our whole community to stand together: anglers and game bird hunters from every region, the rural communities we are part of, and everyone who values healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands. Get in behind us and add your voice to the changes we are working for.

Our species and habitats were previously recognised. The Resource Management Act protected access, and also, under section 7, protected the habitat of trout and salmon as a key indicator species described as the "canary in the coal mine" for freshwater health. Trout represent a nationally important recreational resource and their habitat requirements is the best proxy for maintaining healthy freshwater environments.

We need two things:
Changes to the new Acts, and changes to the draft National Policy Direction.
You can help with both.

How you can help

There are two things you can do. Each one makes a difference, and you do not have to do all two.

1. Give feedback on the National Policy Direction.
The National Policy Direction (NPD) is how the government will set national priorities and direct how the new planning system works in practice. A draft is open for feedback and is your first chance to have a say before the formal consultation next year. Feedback closes at 11.59pm on Friday 16 October. Tell decision makers why angling and game bird hunting matter to you, and ask them to recognise the habitat, recreation and access our species depend on.
Give your feedback here

2. Contact your local MP and candidates.
Ask them to back the same changes. The more MPsand candidates hear directly from people the better the chance we can secure the changes we need.
Find and contact your local MP here

We have reviewed the draft National Policy Direction. It sets out draft directives across five themes: housing and development, infrastructure, primary production, resources, and public values. Angling, game bird hunting and recreation nor our values are included. It does not yet fix the problems we have raised. Our main concerns are:

• No recognition of our species' habitat. There is no explicit recognition of sports fish or game bird habitat, and no recognition of Fish & Game as a stakeholder in the decisions that affect them.
• An indigenous biodiversity focus. The biodiversity framework will overlook important non-indigenous recreational species and habitats, and reduce the limits that protect them.
• A highly enabling development framework. Housing, infrastructure, farming, forestry, mining and aquaculture all receive strong enabling direction, while our values are absent.
• Environmental limits become critical. With little to protect our values in the National Policy Direction itself, habitat outcomes will largely depend on future environmental limits and standards rather than broad planning discretion.
• Access protected but not enhanced. Existing access is supported, but private property rights are strongly prioritised.
• Recreation is a secondary value. There is no dedicated recreation framework and no specific attention to recreational fishing or game bird hunting interests.

On the upside, the draft includes the term “reverse sensitivity” and lists shooting ranges among its examples, which helps protect ranges from encroaching development and complaining neighbours. Your feedback is how we build on the good and push back on the gaps.

Read more

• Give feedback on the illustrative National Policy Direction
• Our full submission
• A summary of decisions on the points we raised
• The Planning Act
• The Natural Environment Act

Fish & Game will keep advocating for changes that protect trout, salmon and game bird habitat, public access, and our statutory role. 

More information