Connectivity Without Compromise: Rethinking Infrastructure in the Public Interest
- Daddy Pig
- Jul 31
- 2 min read
Rock The Vote NZ Submission to the Infrastructure, development and primary sector national direction
Submitted on 28/07/2025
General Feedback on the Consultation
The Government called for feedback on proposals to change and inform development of national direction under the resource management system.
Rock The Vote NZ would like to take this opportunity to comment but is extremely concerned at the substance and process of this consultation.
First, the scope is far too limited: the most important problem, the lack of a current, health-based electromagnetic-radiation standard, has been declared to be outside the scope, but all the proposals presuppose the standard is sufficient. Advising on pole heights at the expense of exposure limits is a case of putting the cart before the horse.
Second, the consultation schedule and technical information is skewed in favour of better resourced industry submitters against the average community. Important files are hundreds of pages long, but the citizenry has a short window to comment. This weakens true democratic engagement and erodes faith in environmental decision making.
Thirdly, the proposals are biased towards cost-cutting of the operators of the networks, yet it does not provide many protections to the residents. Creating the category of major infrastructure expansions as permitted activities denudes councils and neighbourhoods of any meaningful oversight. New Zealand must act in the best international practice and apply the precautionary principle, enforce minimum setbacks around homes, schools and hospitals, and commission independent health and environmental impact assessments prior to any additional 5G roll-out.
Lastly, an accelerated fibre optic programme can be used to achieve connectivity objectives more safely and equitably, especially in rural places that are still under-serviced. It is also necessary to keep 3G as emergency coverage until fibre or safe alternatives are available.
We are requesting that the Government shelve these amendments until a full review of NZS 2772.1: 1999 is undertaken, and consultation then reopened after a modern and evidence-based standard has been achieved. It is only then that infrastructure policy can progress in a fashion that safeguards the wellbeing of the people, honours local democracy and actually serves the long term interests of all New Zealanders.
Comments