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Rangitikei District Council strapline

Key Dates

  • 16th February, 2026

  • Submissions on bill close.

  • 1st June, 2026

  • Bills enacted.

  • 1st January, 2027

  • National policy direction finalised.

  • 1st January, 2027

  • Notify regional spatial plans within 15 months of bills becoming law. Decide regional spatial plans within 6 months of notifying them.

  • 1st January, 2028

  • Natural environment plans and land use plans notified within nine months of regional spatial plan decisions. Immediate legal effect.

Natural Environment Bill & Planning Bill

Major reform of the resource management system.

The Government is replacing the Resource Management Act 1991, commonly known as the RMA, with two new pieces of legislation: the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill. The Government says the current system is too complex, costly and inconsistent, and that change is needed to make it easier to build homes, infrastructure and other development while still protecting the environment.

The two Bills will split the current resource management system into two parts:

  • The Planning Bill focuses on how land is used, developed and enjoyed. This includes things like housing, infrastructure, urban development, natural hazards, and the planning rules councils use.
  • The Natural Environment Bill focuses on the use, protection and enhancement of the natural environment. This includes matters such as freshwater, coastal water, land, soil and biodiversity.

A major change proposed by the Government is more national consistency. Instead of each council area having very different plans and rules, the new system is intended to create more standardised regional combined plans, clearer national direction, and fewer things that need resource consent. The Government has said this should make the planning system faster, simpler and easier to understand.

For councils, this will be a significant operational change. Council planning teams would need to move from the current RMA-based system into a new framework, while still managing existing consents, plans, compliance work and community expectations during the transition.

Legislative stage: The Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill have passed their first reading in Parliament.

Level of certainty: Medium. The Government has introduced the Bills and signalled a clear direction, but the final form of the legislation may still change as it moves through Parliament.

Key Resources