4217 (2024). Lan Pham to the Associate Minister for the Environment

4217 (2024). Lan Pham to the Associate Minister for the Environment: Does the Minister agree with the statement from Federated Farmers that "existing use rights remain on the property, even within SNAs – unless activities intensify or change to the point effects becoming worse, or the ecological integrity of the SNA is destroyed/damaged"; if not, why not?

Hon Andrew Hoggard: The Resource Management Act provides for existing use rights. The National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (NPSIB) does not change this and also contains a provision (Clause 3.15) that allows existing activities to continue as long as there is no change in level of effect and no loss or degradation of a Significant Natural Areas (SNA). Existing granted resource and subdivision consents can proceed unaltered.