The Government has passed the Natural Environment Act and Planning Act which will eventually replace the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).
While the Acts will be introduced over several years, changes to resource consenting start on 30 October 2026.
Implications for approved resource consents
Existing resource consents remain valid, and consent holders must continue to meet their consent conditions.
Implication for applications already in progress or new
During the transition, we’ll continue to process resource consent applications under the RMA, but some requirements will change.
Many existing consents due to expire during this period have been extended. There’ll also be changes to how we assess and process applications.
The Planning Act changed the RMA and other legislation. These changes set out what councils must disregard when considering the effects of residential activities under a district plan.
Changes to assessment of residential activities
From 30 October 2026, when we assess applications for houses and residential developments, we can’t consider the following unless they relate to protecting historic heritage:
the outdoor living space
the internal layout
the presence or absence of balconies
the area of glazing
the size of a residential unit
the size of landscaped areas.
The following effects must also be disregarded:
negative effects of development on trade competition, including on competing providers of input goods and services
effects on retail distribution
for a project, any lack of demand for the project or whether the project is financially viable
the type of residents to be housed in a new development
views from private property.
This means some rules that previously applied to housing developments can no longer be considered or enforced through our resource consent process.
What you need to do
If you’re preparing an application, continue to use our current resource consent process.
If you have an application in-progress, the requirements that apply to an application may depend on when it was lodged and how far it has progressed. We’ll contact you directly if a change affects an application we’re already processing.
Applications lodged from 30 October 2026 will be assessed under the updated RMA requirements. For more information, visit the Government’s transitional consenting webpage.
How we’re preparing
We’re preparing for the transition by working with our partner agencies and updating our systems, processes, staff training and guidance. This will help us provide a consistent and efficient consenting service.
We’ll provide further information as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience while we make these changes.