{"id":74259,"date":"2026-02-03T11:41:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T22:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=74259"},"modified":"2026-02-03T11:42:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T22:42:19","slug":"the-polluters-get-paid-plan-aka-regulatory-takings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/the-polluters-get-paid-plan-aka-regulatory-takings\/","title":{"rendered":"The Polluters Get Paid Plan: AKA Regulatory Relief \/ Regulatory Takings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How the Government is pushing an extreme idea that would block environmental protection and reshape our democracy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

What if polluters could demand a payout just for being told to stop polluting?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n


<\/strong>That\u2019s exactly what the Government is proposing in its rewrite of our core environmental law – the Resource Management Act (RMA).  <\/p>\n\n

They\u2019re proposing the outrageous idea that the public should have to pay compensation to corporations <\/strong>if new environmental rules eat into their profits.  <\/p>\n\n

The public should never<\/strong> have to pay companies to stop polluting drinking water, cutting down ancient native forests, killing wildlife, or emitting dangerous toxins into the air.<\/p>\n\n

But this Government plans to flip the basic polluter pays principle<\/strong> on its head, so that corporations that pollute the environment and harm nature won\u2019t pay for the damage they cause, they\u2019ll get paid.  <\/p>\n\n

They\u2019re calling this toxic idea “regulatory relief\u201d or “regulatory takings\u201d. They are trying to put it straight into the heart of our country’s environmental law<\/strong>, giving corporations a powerful new tool to stop Councils protecting the environment and acting in the public interest.<\/p>\n\n

Together, we need to stop them. Make your submission now before 13 Feb<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

What the \u201cPolluters Get Paid\u201d Plan means in practice<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Tair\u0101whiti has been hit hard by forestry slash and erosion over the past few years causing severe damage to rivers, infrastructure and communities. But if Gisborne wants stronger forestry rules, local ratepayers could be forced to pay ‘compensation\u2019 to the very offshore forestry companies responsible for destructive slash and erosion.<\/p>\n\n

It will affect our big cities too. For example, Auckland ratepayers could have to pay developers to stop them from cutting down native forest in the Wait\u0101kere Ranges, destroying wildlife habitat and risking the city’s drinking water sources.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

The Government\u2019s plan is to make Councils pay compensation to corporations for environmental protection rules that impact a company’s land value or \u201cdevelopment potential\u201d. These are rules we need to stop companies from:<\/p>\n\n