Te Whakahaere Rawa

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Resource management

The Resource Management Act 1991 has been criticised for being overly complex and slow-moving, failing to address New Zealand's growth and development needs, and not delivering better outcomes for our natural environment. For a long time, there has been widespread consensus that change is needed.

The Government is undertaking a comprehensive resource management reform programme, which involves repealing the previous Government’s reforms and designing a new replacement for the RMA. It is also making targeted amendments to the RMA and National Direction to improve its functionality while the replacement legislation is being developed.

This reform process needs to deliver an enduring solution for resource management reform, so we're calling for the Government to take a bipartisan approach to its work in this space.

We also want to see councils and communities retaining a strong role in resource management and land use planning decisions, and a balance struck between allowing for development and protecting our environment. We'll continue to work collaboratively with the Government to ensure we get a resource management system that is workable and fit for purpose.

Our work to date

The timeline below summarises activity to date.

February 2025

We submitted to the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill.
Read our submission: Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill

April 2024

We made a joint submission with Taituarā on the Fast-track Approvals Bill (FTA).

Read our submission: Fast-track Approvals Bill (FTA)

February 2023

We submitted on the Natural and Bill Environment Bill and the Spatial Planning Bill, outlining how they could be improved.

Read our submission: Natural and Bill Environment Bill and the Spatial Planning Bill

October 2022

We produced a summary of council views on resource management reform.

Read our paper: Council Views on Resource Management Reform

August 2022

We wrote to Environment Minister David Parker regarding the delivery of successful resource management reform.

Read our full letter outlining key concerns and recommendations

Read a summary of our letter outlining key concerns and recommendations

Read Minister Parker’s response

Throughout 2022

We ran a number of workshops on the proposed reforms to cover what they encompassed, local government’s concerns with them and governance and decision-making arrangements.