Primary Production Select Committee Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters)

WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATION ABOVE: BusinessNZ recommends that: To encourage efficient investment in natural resource and infrastructure development for the economic well-being of current and future generations of New Zealanders, the Select Committee insert clauses into the Bill: (a) recognising the importance of upholding property rights to encourage efficient investment; and. [...] 2.2 The NPSFM 2020 includes the concept of Te Mana o te Wai, which refers to the fundamental importance of freshwater and recognises that protecting the health of freshwater protects the health and well-being of the wider environment. [...] In respect to the NPS-FM, BusinessNZ has a number of concerns, with the current structure including, but not limited to: • The overwhelming objective of protecting the environment, with human drinking water second in the queue and economic development a distant third; • The inability to make trade-offs between competing environmental and economic objectives with environmental bottom lines trumping. [...] 2.11 Given the above considerations, BusinessNZ agrees with this proposal and notes that it opposed the exclusion of some mining activities in its submissions on the Proposed Changes to Wetland Regulations in 2021 and 2022.2 2.12 In its submission to the Ministry for the Environment on Managing our Wetlands: proposed Changes to the Wetland Regulations under the Essential Freshwater Amendments (Jul. [...] 2.14 The Bill gives effects to the previously announced changes to suspend the identification of new SNAs through the NPSIB for a period of three years which will provide adequate opportunity for the Government to implement its wider reform to resource management based on the principle of the enjoyment of property rights.