The Government’s new planning system will make it much easier and quicker to deliver the infrastructure New Zealand needs, while giving councils, investors and communities greater certainty about what can be built and where, RMA Reform and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court say.
“New Zealand’s new planning system will make it easier to build the houses and infrastructure our country needs, let farmers and growers get on with doing what they do best, and boost our primary sector while protecting the environment,” Mr Bishop says.
“For too long, the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) has acted as a handbrake on growth and opportunity, delayed energy and infrastructure projects, and created enormous complexity and uncertainty for developers, councils, farmers and growers.
“The Infrastructure Commission found that under the RMA, infrastructure developers spend $1.29 billion each year to consent their projects. In addition, they found that direct consenting costs have increased by 70 per cent since 2014, and the time to get a consent has increased by 150 per cent over the same time.
“The Government is replacing the RMA with an entirely new planning system. The benefits for infrastructure providers and major projects are substantial, with the new system designed to reduce duplication, cut delays, and remove unnecessary barriers to nationally important projects.
“The new planning system delivers long-term certainty about where infrastructure goes, and a much faster, simpler consenting pathway. Spatial plans will map out exactly what infrastructure will be needed and by when.
“These are major shifts that will unlock investment and speed up delivery, and will help us to better align infrastructure with new development and housing.”
The new planning system’s key reforms for infrastructure will mean:
- A system designed to deliver infrastructure. A goal of the system is to plan and deliver infrastructure that meets today’s needs and supports future growth.
- Long-term spatial plans will show where infrastructure goes. Plans will map out what infrastructure is needed and when, giving councils, developers and investors greater certainty.
- Important sites will be protected early. Land will be secured for roads, schools and utilities sooner through improved designation processes.
- Consenting will be simpler. Large projects may still need consents or permits, but standardised rules and streamlined processes will make approvals more straightforward and cheaper.
- Significant infrastructure will still be possible in protected areas. Critical infrastructure projects will be allowed to proceed in protected areas when there are no other options.
- Rules will be more consistent. There will be national rules for common activities like earthworks and noise, reducing delays and costs.
Mr Court says the reforms introduce the direction and certainty the infrastructure sector has been seeking for decades.
“For the first time, the law will include a clear national goal for infrastructure and national policy direction will guide councils and lock in long-term planning for roads, pipes, power networks and renewable energy.
“National standards will then codify how to manage common activities so that consents are only needed for departures. This will significantly reduce the need for bespoke consents and tiresome re-litigation of well understood solutions.
“All of this ensures regions can grow, electrification can accelerate, and nationally significant projects can proceed with much greater predictability.
“Our new system will make it cheaper and easier to deliver much-needed infrastructure by removing the unnecessary red tape that has stifled infrastructure development in New Zealand for far too long.”
The bills will be introduced to Parliament this afternoon. The Government aims to pass them into law in 2026.
National policy direction under the new system will be finalised within nine months of the bills becoming law. Mandatory national standards will be delivered in stages and aligned with council plan-making needs.
New Zealanders will be invited to have their say on the legislation via the Select Committee process.
Note to editors:
More information about the new planning system can be found here: https://environment.govt.nz/news/government-unveils-major-overhaul-of-new-zealands-planning-system