Government sets out new planning system to replace RMA

The Government has announced sweeping changes to the country’s planning and environmental management framework, outlining both the structure of the new system and the transition arrangements that will carry the country from the Resource Management Act (RMA) era into a streamlined model aimed at boosting growth and reducing compliance costs.

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Local Government Minister Simon Watts said the reforms mark the most significant restructuring of local government and planning processes since 1989, promising faster decisions, fewer consents, and clearer national direction.

Under the new framework, the tangle of more than 100 regional policy statements and plans across 78 local authorities will be replaced with just 17 regional combined plans developed over two years rather than seven.

Regional councils will take on a reduced role as national standards become stronger and more activities are permitted by default.

The Government says the simplified system will cut duplication, remove uncertainty, and deliver better outcomes for communities while maintaining environmental protections. The reforms are designed to align with wider local government restructuring, with combined territory boards expected to lead the rollout.

Legislation for the new planning system will be introduced to Parliament this afternoon, with the Government targeting passage in 2026, followed by national policy direction within nine months.

To ensure stability during the transition, Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court announced additional legislation that will extend thousands of existing consents—many due to expire next year—so businesses, councils and communities avoid unnecessary costs while the old system is dismantled. Most current consents will be extended to around 2031, two years past the end of the transition period, while urgent legislation passed in the coming days will push near-term expiries out to 31 December 2027. New consent applications can still be lodged under a simplified transitional RMA process, which limits notification requirements and narrows the scope of effects that can be considered. Some core national standards, including consent-free activity pathways and principles such as proportionality, will take immediate effect.

Bishop said the shift away from the 30-year-old RMA—widely criticised for holding back housing, infrastructure and economic development—will finally remove the “red tape” that has frustrated farmers, councils and businesses for decades.

Court added that extending consents avoids wasted time and money on processes that would otherwise be obsolete once the new system takes effect. “We’re effectively doing to consents what we’ve already done with plans through the plan stop—relieving everyone of the burden of going through the motions with a major overhaul looming,” he said.

New Zealanders will have an opportunity to provide feedback on both the planning bills and the local government reforms through the Select Committee process. Public consultation on the wider local government proposals is already open until 20 February 2026.

Image credit: Charlie Deets