RMA Reform
What is changing?
The Government has proposed replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA) with two new laws: the Natural Environment Act and the Planning Act.
Together, these would change how land use, development, and the environment are managed across New Zealand.
A key change is a simpler planning system. Instead of separate district and regional plans, each region would have one combined regional plan. This would bring together land use, infrastructure, and environmental rules in one place.
The aim is to make the system easier to understand, more consistent across the country, and more efficient for communities, developers, and councils to use.
These changes are proposed and may change as legislation progresses through Parliament.
What this means
The Government’s approach is to allow more activities without needing a resource consent, particularly where effects are minor or well understood.
This could mean:
- less paperwork
- lower costs
- faster decisions for straightforward projects.
There would also be clearer national rules about what activities are allowed. This should make it easier to understand what you can and cannot do on your property.
Because more activities would be permitted, there may be fewer opportunities to comment on some lower-impact developments, including those affecting neighbouring properties.
Protecting the environment
The proposed system includes setting environmental limits for things like water quality, air quality, and biodiversity.
These limits would be built into regional plans and used when decisions are made.
The intent is to provide more consistent environmental protection across New Zealand, while supporting development in appropriate areas.
What it means for councils
Councils would move to a single regional planning framework, replacing multiple plans with one combined regional plan for each region.
They would apply national direction and standards when making decisions, which should lead to more consistent rules across the country.
With more activities permitted without consent, councils are likely to process fewer resource consent applications overall.
Our submission
Read our submission on the proposed reforms.
Having a say in decisions
People would still be able to have a say on regional plans and larger proposals.
However, the rules for public notification are expected to change. In general, input would focus on activities with more than minor effects on the environment or neighbouring properties.
This is intended to reduce delays for simple projects, while retaining public input on proposals with wider impacts.
Useful links
- LGNZ Resource Management Reform Explainer
- Simpson Grierson – Resource Management Reform Overview
