Consider Past Noncompliance In Resource Consent Applications

Inpiration here and here.

Past non-compliance with the RMA is apparently not a factor considered in resource consent applications. This allows serial environemtnal criminals to continue polluting, and gain new consents to do so, despite a record which shows they consistently ignore conditions and breach the terms of the consent.

Changes to the RMA mean consents can now be cancelled for non-compliance. But that is an ambulance atthe bottom of the cliff. Requiring consent authorities to consider past noncompliance will allow them to set tougher conditions and monitoring for serial offenders, or not grant the consent at all.

Resource Management (Past Noncompliance) Amendment Bill