The Government has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of New Zealand’s planning system, describing it as a radical but long-awaited reform that is expected to come fully into force by 2029.
According to a report by 1News, the proposed changes will significantly alter how buildings and infrastructure are planned across the country, with major implications for anyone undertaking work that currently requires council consent. The Government claims the new framework could eliminate up to 22,000 consent and permit applications each year, around 46 per cent of the current total.
Replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA) is set to become one of the most significant reform packages undertaken by the National-led coalition government. Under the proposed system, many everyday activities affecting only private property, such as building decks, garages or extending homes, would generally no longer require consent, according to a government fact sheet, 1News has reported.
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said the current law had failed and needed to be replaced. He said the new system would prioritise private property rights and liberal market principles, while delivering on the National–ACT coalition agreement.
Bishop said: "Our reforms are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to free ourselves from a millstone that has weighed on both our economy and our environment," as quoted by 1News.
The bills were to be introduced to Parliament today, with the Government aiming to pass them into law in 2026 and have the new system fully operational by 2029.
According to the Government, the reforms include fewer and simpler consents, with low-impact activities no longer requiring approval, and faster planning through the reduction of more than 100 existing plans to 17 regional combined plans. These plans would integrate spatial, land use and natural environment planning, 1News has reported.
The system would also introduce 30-year regional spatial plans to identify growth areas, infrastructure corridors and protected zones. National policy direction would be strengthened to provide greater consistency, while all consent conditions would be required to be necessary and proportionate, as reported by 1News.
Planned national standards for zoning and common activities aim to reduce red tape, alongside clearer rules on consultation, including with iwi. A new Planning Tribunal would be established to resolve conflicts quickly and at lower cost, while enforcement would be centralised to deliver consistency.
More building and renovation activities would be allowed by default, with councils having fewer matters to consider in decision-making. The Government said the changes would make it easier to "renovate a house, build a deck or garage or add another storey, often without the need for a resource consent," as quoted by 1News.
Under the new approach, no consent would be required for activities affecting only the homeowner’s property, "like the layout of your house, balconies or private outdoor space." Councils would also be limited in stopping projects based solely on effects on neighbours’ amenity, though impacts such as noise, shading or flood risk would still be considered where they affect others or the wider area.
Heritage protection would focus on "places of genuine heritage value while giving families the flexibility to adapt their homes for modern life." The system would also consolidate more than 1100 different planning zones into a standardised national set, making it easier to reuse house plans across regions.
Where consents are still required, the Government says the process will be faster, cheaper and clearer, with simplified activity categories reduced from six to four: permitted, restricted discretionary, discretionary and prohibited.
A new “regulatory relief” framework would require councils to compensate landowners when planning rules significantly restrict reasonable land use. Relief would apply in cases involving heritage, outstanding landscapes, sites of significance to Māori, or areas of high natural character, 1News has reported.
Relief options could include cash payments, reductions in rates or fees, additional development rights, land swaps, or targeted grants. Councils would be required to justify protections and outline what affected landowners are entitled to.
Parliamentary under-secretary and ACT minister Simon Court said the reforms marked a fundamental shift.
He said the changes put property rights "at the core", adding that "The creeping excesses of the RMA have eroded Kiwis' property rights and suffocated our number 8 wire culture in the process, a culture we must revive," as quoted by 1News.
Court said the regulatory relief mechanism would force councils to account for the costs of restrictions on private property.
He added: "If they want to impose significant restrictions, they must justify them, provide relief to the landowners, and convince their ratepayers the public benefit warrants it," 1News has quoted.
He said the proposed Planning Tribunal would provide accountability and prevent council overreach, stating: "A new Planning Tribunal will drive further accountability by providing a low-cost clearing house for people to challenge old council habits and overreach, no more unchecked information requests, no more disproportionate consent conditions," 1News has quoted.
The new planning framework will be set out in two bills, the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill, which together will replace the RMA. The Planning Bill will focus on land use and development, while the Natural Environment Bill will manage resource use and environmental protection.
Councils will be required to consider the positive effects of development when making decisions, a significant shift from the current RMA approach.
The Government aims to pass the legislation in 2026, with national policy direction finalised within nine months of enactment. Transitional arrangements will extend existing RMA consents until at least mid-2031, with consent holders able to apply for replacements from mid-2026 or wait until the new system is in place.
Public submissions on the bills are expected through the select committee process in the new year, along with consultation on national policy direction.
ISSUE
Leave a Comment