Why we need RMA reform

Eric Crampton writes about an appeal against a solar farm:

It isn’t crazy to object to a land use change that would have substantial adverse flow-on effect on your land use. 

It’s nuts that the system entertains objections like this one where there is zero reported real effect – only what amounts to a view that the outfit putting in the solar farm might lose money as compared to keeping it as a dairy farm. 

It’s nuts that Todd felt they had to commission an economic analysis to prove net benefits.

The objector was objecting on any impact on him. He was objecting that the owner wasn’t making the best economic use of his land, and the owner had to defend this in court over many years – just to use his own land.