Farmers and growers will spend less time burdened with unnecessary paperwork and more time farming under New Zealand’s new planning system, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard say.
The Government is replacing the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) with two new bills: a Planning Bill that enables development and regulates land use, and a Natural Environment Bill that manages resource impacts and protects the environment.
“Across the country farmers and growers have stressed how the previous system failed them. It was burdensome, stifled productivity, and that’s why we are replacing it,” Mr McClay says.
“Today’s announcement is a long time coming and will make the world of difference to rural New Zealand. A common-sense planning system means farmers and growers can more effectively meet their obligations while continuing to produce world-class food and fibre.”
Key changes for farmers and growers under the new planning system:
- Less red tape: The new system respects property rights and removes unnecessary rules, meaning fewer resource consents and faster processing times for farmers.
- Simpler rules: Standardised regional rules make compliance easier to know what applies to individual farms.
- Risk-based approach: Lower-risk areas and activities will have fewer requirements, while higher-risk activities will be managed more closely. If an activity has a less than minor impact on others or the environment, it won’t need a consent.
- Access to “relief” if particular planning controls or rules have a big impact on land use.
- Farm plans mean fewer consents: Freshwater farm plans will be a key tool within the new system. These will be flexible and farmer-led, helping farmers identify environmental risks on their farm and then plan practical actions to manage these. In catchments under pressure, farm plans will give councils greater confidence that resources are being managed within environmental limits.
“Our farmers and growers need a fair transition to give them certainty as the new system beds in. We will deliver this so they can continue to farm without having to meet excessive consultant and RMA costs. The Government backs them to meet their environment obligations while continuing to produce revenue the country desperately needs,” Mr McClay says.
“We’re giving them the confidence to invest in higher value land use, state-of-the-art technology, improved management practices, and product supply chains that grow jobs in their communities.”
“I've spent months on farm visits across the country, talking to farmers in woolsheds, over gates, and around kitchen tables. The stories I have are ones of frustration and sometimes despair at the often crippling costs and uncertainty that the current system is creating,” Mr Hoggard says.
“The new system is built on a simple principle: it's your land, you have the right to use it.
“We're stripping out unnecessary rules so farmers can get on with what they do best – farming. But it’s also about reducing the costs and barriers to also engage in good environmental practice as well. I have spoken to farmers and groups that almost gave up on wetland creation due to the costs and hassles involved.
“Farmers are already doing a huge amount for New Zealand’s economy and way of life. Our job is to make sure the rules are practical, efficient and fit for purpose so our agricultural sector can continue to lead the world and drive our economic recovery,” Mr Hoggard says.
The bills will be introduced to Parliament this afternoon. The Government aims to pass them into law in 2026.
New Zealanders will be invited to have their say on the legislation via the Select Committee process.