The Resource Management Act 1991 to be Replaced with Two New Acts

The government recently announced that the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) will be replaced by two new acts: the Planning Act and the Natural Environment Act. This is the final stage of the government’s three-phase resource management reform. It follows the repeal of the Labour government’s RMA replacement legislation, amendments to the RMA and implementation of the Fast-Track Approvals Act 2024.

The dual act approach aims to minimise duplication between laws and regulations, and to provide a more concise framework for managing the effects on the natural environment. The Planning Act will focus on land-use planning and regulation, while the Natural Environment Act will address the use, protection and enhancement of the natural environment.

Key proposed changes include:

•         Nationally standardised land use zones: the new resource management system will have one combined plan per region. Each plan will include environmental, spatial planning and planning chapters

•         Resource consent: resource consents will still be required. However, with the new nationally standardised land use zones, there will be more permitted activities, leading to fewer resource consents being required, and

•         Compliance and enforcement: a national compliance and enforcement regulator will be established to ensure consistency and reduce variability in compliance and enforcement activities. This will be done in a separate legislative process.

The government has indicated that it intends to introduce the new legislation to Parliament by the end of 2025, put it before the select committee in 2026, and pass it into law before the general election at the end of 2026.

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