Want more IKEAs? Ditch the RMA

ACT Leader David Seymour is celebrating the opening of IKEA, but says if we want to see other franchises come to New Zealand, historic land use reform cannot come fast enough.

"Even if you're not interested in Swedish furniture, IKEA's opening this week is worth celebrating," says Mr Seymour. "A global institution has looked at New Zealand and decided we're finally worth a punt. IKEA's investment means livelihoods for Kiwi workers and choice for Kiwi shoppers.

"We need more of this investment. But frankly we haven't made things easy for IKEA. Red tape in construction, foreign investment, and resource management makes investors think twice.

"To take just one example, look at the conditions Auckland Council imposed in IKEA's 2023 resource consent."

IKEA's consent requirements included:

• Inviting representatives of seven different mana whenua groups "to undertake cultural monitoring, karakia and other such cultural ceremonies on the site" at the pre-start meeting, commencement of earthworks and immediately prior to completion of bulk earthworks across the site, with 10 days' notice before each of those events.
• Consulting with mana whenua on design aspects including erosion and sediment control measures, stormwater treatment, planting, the 'Culvert-edge walkway', and fencing.
• Mana whenua must be afforded the opportunity to provide Cultural Monitoring as deemed required by the respective mana whenua representatives.
• Mana whenua must be afforded access to the site at their discretion.

"This is about far more than IKEA," says Mr Seymour. "It's supermarket chains, petrol retailers, and power companies that currently look at New Zealand's rules and walk away. We desperately need to become more a more attractive place to invest, build, employ, and do business.

"We've made good progress on a few fronts. I've made overseas investment rules more welcoming, Brooke van Velden is making it easier to hire, and the Coalition is making construction easier with building product reforms.

"But the change I'm really excited about is ditching the Resource Management Act. That's the land use law that enables every Tom, Dick, and Harry to impose demands and restrictions on the way people develop their own land, like the conditions in IKEA's resource consent.

"I remember campaigning on this more than a decade ago, before I was even elected. ACT didn't have the support to get it done back then, but now with a larger team in Government, ACT's Simon Court is going to get it done before the election. It will be historic for ACT, but more importantly, it will deliver jobs, competition, and affordability for New Zealanders."