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Sustainable development and the RMA
The Resource Management Act (RMA) remains an important tool for sustainably managing our natural resources.
Caring for our planet
The concept of sustainable development as being development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs was coined in the 1987 ‘Brundtland report’. Sustainable development was subsequently adopted as the central theme of a United Nations conference, in 1992, called the “Earth Summit”.
The Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro is widely regarded as the breakthrough in worldwide sustainable development thinking. It was unprecedented for a United Nations conference, in terms of its size and the scope of its concerns. The summit formed a platform for governments to rethink economic development and for the first time governments signed up to giving environmental, social and economic objectives equal status.
New Zealand was already one step ahead of many countries involved in the Rio summit, as the RMA – which explicitly recognises sustainability as its overarching theme – was already up and running.
“We were ahead of the game and can be proud that the Act came into force a year before the Rio summit,” says Craig Mallett, Manager of RMA Implementation at the Ministry.
As a result of the Earth Summit, sustainable development is often viewed as resting on the three pillars of economy, society and environment. Each of these pillars is vital for the goal of sustainable development to be achieved.
The RMA is a part of the ‘environment pillar’ of sustainable development as it pursues sustainability by ensuring harmful effects of resource use are avoided, remedied or mitigated. It also imposes limits on the use of public resources (ie, air, water and coastal space) to avoid over-exploitation and enable fair and reasonable access for people and communities.
The RMA paved the way for showing how sustainable management could be a useful concept for guiding other legislative direction. Since the RMA in 1991, at least six other New Zealand statutes, including legislation for fisheries, indigenous forestry, transport, electricity and local government, have adopted sustainability as a core theme.
However, the RMA is narrower than sustainable development. That, says Craig Mallett, is because the Act was never intended as a ‘blueprint for living’. The purpose of the Act is first and foremost about minimising environmental impacts. And while it does recognise social and economic needs, it does not actively promote social and economic aspirations.
In February, the Prime Minister announced six flagship initiatives to help New Zealand realise the economic opportunities as well as environmental benefits, offered by shifting towards greater sustainability. She also recognised the importance of culture in sustainable development.
These six initiatives are aimed at promoting sustainability in business, households and the public service, reducing waste and improving the certification of environmentally friendly products and services.
For more information contact Craig Mallett on (04) 439 7419 or email craig.mallett@mfe.govt.nz
