Duelling RMA reforms: How different is the coalition's solution from Labour's?

Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii

Analysis - The coalition's new resource management laws bear significant resemblance to the one the government repealed in 2023, after winning the election.

There are key differences, which appear to mostly be focused on pushing development harder, faster and with less consultation - and a philosophical focus on property rights.

But the main thrust of how the legislation works is based on the same principles as the model set out under Labour's David Parker.

'Very similar' or 'big differences'?

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has been leading the coalition's changes, and on Tuesday acknowledged there were "some similarities, to be fair" with Labour's approach but also some "big differences".

"At the end of the day, there's only so many ways to skin a cat, right," he said.

"There have to be plans, there has to be consents and permits - it's really just about ... what the threshold is and how you work that stuff out. And ours is different."

He listed a number of these differences:

"The concept of goals and objectives" trying to get the system to be more positively focused about what the system is trying to do is there as well ... we have not gone for the huge degree of complexity and uncertainty that [Labour's] purpose clauses would have created".

"They weren't interested in doing local government reform at the same time, whereas we are".

"The implementation of [Labour's] was going to take around 10 years, whereas, as you know, ours is going to be about