National's latest attempts to "reform" the RMA are officially dead:
Government coalition partners have successfully stopped an overhaul of planning laws.
The Maori Party and UnitedFuture MP Peter Dunne teamed up to oppose reforms of the Resource Management Act (RMA), saying it placed economic growth ahead of environmental protection.
National needed either party's vote to get the legislation over the line.
This afternoon, Prime Minister John Key confirmed negotiations had stalled and he had "parked up" the reforms until after the general election in September.
Good riddance. National's "reforms" included making development a "matter of national importance", removing local democracy, and providing a blank cheque for mining, drilling, and urban sprawl. I'm very glad that Peter Dunne and the Maori Party have stopped it.
