NZ First leader Winston Peters says the Government's reforms of the Resource Management Act are race-based and separatist.

NZ First leader Winston Peters has labelled the National Party "racists" over their drafting and support of controversial Resource Management Act reform.

"They're supporting racist legislation and I'm proving it by the number of references in this legislation," he said.

Peters made a submission to a Parliament select committee on Thursday, telling MPs his party would fully support RMA reforms on the condition "separatist and race-based proposed laws, starting with the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill" were removed.

"Sir Bob Jones had to fork out $4500 for a resource consent and a cultural impact assessment, after consulting with 13 iwi, all because a reinstated window looked over a designated heritage site in Auckland.

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"Can any MP tell the public where the 13 iwi have come from?" Peters said.



"National has already altered the RMA to transform iwi into consenting authorities."

The Government backed off making fundamental changes to the RMA last November after United Future leader Peter Dunne refused to back them, but decided to press ahead with less contentious changes to speed up planning and consent laws.

Concessions made by the Government to win Maori Party support for the reforms included giving iwi the right to be consulted "at the front end" of resource management and council planning through Iwi Participation Agreements.

Speaking to media following his submission, Peters said water was "critical to this country's future" but the concept of ownership had "creeped in because of this Government's caving in of unreasonable demands of racism".

Maoridom wouldn't move forward unless the Government put a stop to "this kind of patronising attitude".

Under the National-led government, Maori were treated as though they couldn't handle democracy and didn't understand the law, he said.

There was no contesting or questions from MPs following Peters' submission and that meant "they're all guilty of sin," he said.

MPs were warned that planning and environmental law must be colour-blind but under new legislation Kiwis were being asked to "sign up to planning laws where rights are based on the colour of one's skin".

"Maori are part of the New Zealand community and not a separate entity. These proposals don't seem to understand that most fundamental fact," Peters said.