Community
Following the success of last year’s Stop Three Waters roadshow, the Taxpayers’ Union is embarking on a new four-week nationwide roadshow to address the concerns of ratepayers and councils regarding the government’s proposed replacement to the Resource Management Act. The roadshow, titled “Hands Off Our Homes: Stop Central Planning Committees,” will feature visits to 30 local centers across New Zealand, from Invercargill to Whāngarei.
The Taxpayers’ Union team will travel in a van adorned with the “Hands Off Our Homes: Stop Central Planning Committees” branding. Their mission is to meet with mayors, councillors, and Members of Parliament (MPs) and urge them to pledge their commitment to resisting the government’s reforms.
The roadshow will also provide an opportunity for ratepayers at each stop to meet the Taxpayers’ Union team and hear firsthand the commitments of local politicians in opposing the proposed changes. Public meetings will be held, where local mayors, councillors, and MPs will be invited to address the attendees.
In a show of solidarity, nine of the events will be jointly hosted with Federated Farmers, who have been at the forefront of the opposition to the proposed planning reforms. The collaboration aims to strengthen the collective voice against the changes.
Campaigns Manager of the Taxpayers’ Union, Callum Purves, expressed the organization’s concerns about the proposed replacement to the Resource Management Act. Purves highlighted the frustration among New Zealanders regarding the current Act, which restricts land use and has contributed to a significant shortage of infrastructure and housing. However, he warned that the proposed replacement could exacerbate the situation even further.
Purves criticized the government’s intentions, stating, “Not content with seizing water assets from local communities, the Government is now proposing to grab planning powers from local councils and transfer them to fifteen unaccountable, undemocratic, so-called Regional Planning Committees. At this rate, there won’t be much left for your council to do.”
The Taxpayers’ Union believes that these changes will significantly reduce local control over decisions affecting communities. They argue that the proposed reforms introduce numerous new and undefined concepts, which could potentially result in legal challenges through the courts. Moreover, the increased red tape and bureaucracy may lead to higher building costs for everyone.
The Taxpayers’ Union’s roadshow hosted an event on 1st June in Gore at Croydon Lodge. Today (Friday, 2nd June), the roadshow is in Invercargill, with a meeting scheduled at The Invercargill Working Man’s Club, starting 6pm.
For the complete itinerary of the Taxpayers’ Union’s roadshow, please visit their itinerary here taxpayers.org.nz/roadshow
The Taxpayers’ Union’s roadshow presents an opportunity for concerned ratepayers and councils to voice their opposition to the government’s proposed reforms, aiming to safeguard local control and protect the interests of communities across New Zealand.