Dear John,

Turning the First Sod for New Courthouse for Papakura

This week I was with the Minister for Justice Hon Paul Goldsmith and the Minister for Courts Nicole McKee, at the turning of the first sod for the new Papakura Courthouse to be built on the site of the former RSA building in Elliot Street.

As many of you know the current courthouse in Papakura has been wrapped in plastic and scaffolding for about three years as it is leaking quite badly.
It is very good to know that the building of a new Courthouse for Papakura is under way with consents in hand and plans well advanced.

The new building will be purpose-built and much of it will be completed in a factory and delivered to the site. This will allow the new building to be open for business in early 2027.

Every Corner Project Recipients

Air New Zealand have launched their Every Corner Project as part of their acknowledgement of the beautiful great outdoors of New Zealand that provides business opportunities for the airline as it services the trade and tourism sectors.

The Every Corner Project has invested $1.2million of the Airline’s Climate and Nature Fund in local communities and the local projects that local groups do to look after their natural environment from native planting to wetland preservation, predator control and promoting solar panel installation.

There are 115 recipients of the airline’s inaugural funding of Every Corner projects, and I was delighted to learn that Air New Zealand has supported projects being run by Paparimu School and Tipene, St Stephen’s School in the Papakura electorate.

Paparimu school is a small rural school for year 1 to 8 students and Tipene St Stephens has recently re opened as a charter school for secondary school pupils and I congratulate both schools on their excellent efforts.

Air New Zealand report that they had over 650 applications to the inaugural Project from schools/kura, iwi/hapū and community groups - all doing fantastic work looking after their corner of New Zealand.

The RMA and Auckland Council plan changes stopped

The Government has announced it will stop councils “wasting their officers’ time and their ratepayers’ money” on plan changes in advance of the new planning system coming into force.

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says the Resource Management Act (RMA) has crippled New Zealand for decades, and the Government’s planning system reforms are set to make it easier to get things built in New Zealand.

Some amendments have already been made to provide relief to the primary sector and Parliament has passed the Fast-track Approvals Act to speed up the consenting process for projects with regional or nationally significant benefits.
Consultation has taken place on changes to the regulations that sit under the RMA, and the second RMA Amendment Bill is expected to pass into law very soon. This will make important changes in the short-term to make it quicker and simpler to consent renewable energy projects, boost housing supply, and reduce red tape for the primary sector.

Later this year the Government will introduce two new Acts to completely replace the RMA – one Act to focus on land-use planning and the second to focus on the natural environment. Mr Bishop said the new system will provide a framework that makes it easier to plan and deliver infrastructure as well as protect the environment.

Many changes have been made after careful consideration, and a recommendation from an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) has been made, that the Government relieve some of the workload of Councils. Councils need time prepare to transition before adopting the new resource management system.

The Government is currently consulting until 17 August 2025 on national direction proposals that Councils will not have to change plans to implement. Information is available here: Consultation on updating RMA national direction | Ministry for the Environment.

The big project for Papakura is Mill Road and it is set to benefit from these RMA changes.

Anyone with prior and current issues around building and resource consents is reminded that Auckland Council and or your local Councillor are great places to start making your enquiries.

It is time to Vote for your Mayor, Councillors and Local Boards

And finally, voting in the Local Body Elections is done, where possible, by a postal vote system and it begins from 9 September when you will receive your Vote Packs.

If you are not enrolled or don’t receive your Vote Pack by 22 September your local library is able to update your enrolment and provide you with the relevant Voting papers for your Ward or city until midday on 11 October when voting ends.

All the best to you and your families,

Judith

Hon Judith Collins KC
MP for Papakura