Biodiversity policy a 'timebomb'

A national policy to protect New Zealand's biodiversity could end up being a "ticking timebomb", a Waitaki District Councillor has warned.

Councillors were told yesterday that the proposed National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity, drawn up by the Ministry for the Environment, would impact on the council and its existing plans, and a submission needed to be made to the ministry.

The policy sets out guidelines to stop the decline of biodiversity through the Resource Management Act. Councils would have to undertake assessments of conservation values across its district.

Councillor Jim Hopkins said the policy could have drastic effects on local industry. "There's all manner of things that could potentially have significant impact ... [on] operations very crucial to this district."

He was concerned the statement policy would override the district's plans.

"I wonder if we should be doing something even more vehement and determined [than a submission].

"If applied to the letter [the policy] could make new farming developments nigh extinct.

"It's totally skewed in one direction ... it has the potential to be a ticking timebomb." He said the council should be calling on Local Government New Zealand to advocate the issue on its behalf.