Government agency warns Regulatory Standards Bill could delay climate disaster response – Greenpeace

As the cleanup begins in flood-hit Tasman, fresh documents reveal a stark warning from Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) that the Regulatory Standards Bill could hinder the country’s ability to respond to climate-related disasters.

In a briefing obtained by Greenpeace under the Official Information Act, LINZ  – the agency responsible for managing Crown land – warned that the Bill may“limit the ability to respond quickly to emerging issues (for example, climate-related or natural disaster issues).”

Greenpeace has called the advice “yet another nail in the coffin for the doomed Bill”.

“As families, businesses and farmers in Tasman begin the difficult cleanup after yet another devastating flood, it’s shocking to learn that officials are warning this Bill could make it harder to respond to exactly these kinds of disasters,” says Greenpeace spokesperson Gen Toop.

LINZ also flagged concerns about the Bill’s impact on critical infrastructure and public works, warning ”an overly rigid emphasis on property interests may conflict with broader regulatory objectives, including the Government’s ability to acquire land for infrastructure or public good projects.” This was a concern echoed by the Treasury in its advice on the Bill.

“The Regulatory Standards Bill is dangerous. It would tie the Government up in new red tape at the very moment when urgent climate action and disaster preparation are needed most,” says Toop

“The advice is clear. This Bill would make it harder to build the infrastructure we urgently need to decarbonise the economy and prepare for climate disasters – things like flood protection, improved communication links, and renewable energy.”

LINZ further flagged that the legislation could create new legal barriers to returning land to iwi under the Treaty settlement process, citing concerns raised by the Waitangi Tribunal.

“These new warnings are yet another nail in the coffin for this doomed Bill. It has attracted blistering criticism from the United Nations, legal experts, health professionals, Māori leaders, environmental groups, and the public service itself.”

“The Labour and Green parties have committed to repealing the Bill. It simply has no future. The Prime Minister should withdraw National’s support immediately before further time and money is wasted on yet another one of David Seymour’s disastrously unpopular policy ideas.”

This latest revelation comes as news broke this morning that MBIE had warned the Bill could be much more expensive than previously expected and have a negative impact on economic growth, and just days after news broke that the United Nations has issued a letter to the Government criticising the Bill.