Faster, cheaper, better - but in ten years' time. That's the Government's promise for its shiny new system replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA).
The RMA is being replaced by three laws that aim to produce better planning, better environmental protection and a reduction in the complexity of resource consents.
The Government will compact 100 RMA plans into just 15 - one for each region - and is promising countrywide savings of $150 million a year.
The legislation will be passed by next year's election, but all the changes won't be fully in force for another decade.
Everyone has a horror story with the RMA. Peter Wolfkamp - site foreman on The Block NZ - has too many.
"It is not uncommon to have discussions with clients where projects are held up because of the time it has taken to process those resource consents," he said.
Planner Hamish Firth has spent the last 25 years dealing with it.
"It would probably have more editions than the Edmond's cookbook," he said.
Every edition has been more complex than the last.
"What we have found over the years, it has got harder and harder to get the same piece of paper out of council," said Firth.
So step aside Daft Punk, because here comes the Government's RMA remix.
"It will be cheaper, faster and better," said acting Prime Minister Grant Robertson.
"Easier, cheaper and quicker to consent," said Environment Minister David Parker.
The Government is ripping the RMA to shreds, promising a better Bill. It's been years in the making, but Parker said "today's the day".
The RMA will be replaced with three bits of law - one focussed on planning, one which sets the rules for land use and allocation of resources, and one dealing with climate change adaptation.
To protect the environment, people will need to prove they can improve outcomes rather than mitigate adverse effects. So for instance, improving the swimmability of our rivers - not just slowing the rate of their demise.
"How long will it take to get them back to swimmable? A generation in some areas," Parker said. "Can we stop the degradation a lot faster than that? Yes we can."
The changes mean 100 planning laws will be simplified down to 15 - one for every region - with a committee to decide each.
"Councils are just like anybody else. We have got to go through the same blimmin' process. It is frustrating," Hauraki District Mayor Toby Adams said.
Firth reckons he'll still be wading through bureaucratic treacle.
"It is the length of time and the uncertainty," he said. "Time is money."
Anecdotally, Newshub's been told a consent takes three to 10 months to get. Parker said the timeframe people will have to wait will be "substantially lower" once the changes have been implemented.
But he's replacing the 900-page behemoth that is the RMA with three pieces of law totalling about 800 pages.
"There's not a lot of reduction in bureaucracy, uncertainty, complexity and speed of implementation. We need to be much more agile, much much quicker," said National leader Christopher Luxon.
The National Party, which has been on about RMA reform for a decade, won't support it.
