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Andrew Dickens: Finally we deal with RMA reform

Author
Andrew Dickens ,
Publish Date
Tue, 9 Dec 2025, 6:23am
Photo / File
Photo / File

Andrew Dickens: Finally we deal with RMA reform

Author
Andrew Dickens ,
Publish Date
Tue, 9 Dec 2025, 6:23am

For as long as I’ve been in talk radio, I’ve been talking to people about RMA reform 

And I’ve been in talk radio since 1996. 

The Resource Management Act was introduced in 1991, and it has ballooned into being an albatross around our necks 

To comply you need to pay a fortune. To check your compliance authorities, have to spend weeks reviewing your plans. 

So today we learn what comes next 

Now the reason the RMA grew like a cancerous growth around our progress is simple 

Too many people took too many liberties and caused too much damage. 

Worrying about their margins they took shortcuts and then projects failed 

Like so many laws we had to take into account the lowest common denominator 

The developer who did it cheap, did it bad and then liquidated the company to leave others to clean up the mess 

That experience is why many will not welcome a simplification of the rules today 

But the overcompensation for the bad actors has cost us all too much. 

Today I'll be looking for the efficiencies but also looking for the safeguards to protect us from the cowboys who are far too many in our country these days 

But it’s a mammoth piece of legislation and it’s taken a mammoth effort to review it.  

Ryan Bridge spoke to a bloke who’s been working on fixing the law for 8 years last night. 

I wish Chris Bishop all the best of luck today. The work needs to be done. 

But once again I beg the developers not to take the piss.

Your selfish concern for your bottom line has resulted in this mess so just stop it. Build it once, build it right and make it last. 

Care about your legacy.

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you