The Resource Management Act isn't the sexiest-sounding or most attention grabbing piece of legislation, but I'm betting it's the one that has most impact on the average person's daily life.

Want to change something at your house? Maybe even build a new one? Maybe you're setting up a business, and need to find a place to call home.

Not to mention farmers of all types, just about any time they want to do anything. In all cases, you're about to come face to face with the Resource Management Act.

Precisely because it affects so many people, when the Government set its sights on changing it, those National thought it could count on for support suddenly dug their heels in.

The problem was section six and seven, the provisions that preserve the environment as the top priority.

The Government's changes would have put the environment as first equal instead, vying for attention against other priorities such as affordable housing.

The idea horrified United Future leader Peter Dunne so much, he walked away from negotiations.

The Maori Party stuck around, and eventually the Government had to cut a deal.

Those cornerstone changes to environmental provisions? Gone. The environment stays as the top priority, with the Maori Party also winning the right for iwi to be consulted on planning decisions.

It's a major back down from the Government, and a sign of how badly they needed the numbers to get the changes through.

Their argument is that the changes that are left are still worthwhile, and there's something in that. We're running desperately low on housing, and just ask any Aucklander how that's working out for them.

In the last few days even international media has picked up on it, laughing at the mouldy Auckland state house without even a kitchen sink that sold for over a million bucks.

Bloomberg pointed out that these days Auckland even makes London look reasonably priced.

Ask Minister Nick Smith if the streamlined and sped up RMA will fix Auckland, and the answer is yes - but not in the short or medium term.

It's a long term answer for a crisis that's causing pain right now.

The compromise was a necessary sacrifice to get the numbers, which National is in desperate need of after losing the Northland by-election.

Dr Smith said it best when he said this piece of legislation was about the politics of the possible.