In 2027, new Planning Tribunal will resolve disputes like those involving resource consents
According to Resource Management Act (RMA) Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Parliamentary Undersecretary Simon Court, New Zealand has shifted to a new and different planning system with the Planning Act 2026 and the Natural Environment Act 2026 receiving royal assent.
According to Court, under the reforms replacing the Resource Management Act 1991, each region will have a combined regional plan comprising a regional spatial plan, a natural environment plan, and land-use plans per district.
Stressing the importance of regional spatial plans, he explained that such plans seek to “set the long-term direction for how regions grow and change over the next 30 years and beyond, bringing together decisions about housing, business growth, infrastructure, natural hazards, environmental constraints and long-term investment.”
“The laws are now in place,” Bishop said in the government’s news release. “The job from here is to work with councils, iwi and the wider planning sector to make sure the new system delivers in practice.”
Bishop noted that transitional consenting arrangements, aimed at reducing disruption amid the reforms, would take effect within a month.
“The next major steps are already underway,” he said. “Feedback on the Government’s illustrative National Policy Direction is open until 16 October, with the first package of National Policy Direction and standards for regional spatial plans to be finalised in 2027.”
In the news release, Bishop added that:
Bishop shared that an independent Planning Tribunal established next year will replace the existing council-led objection processes and will accessibly resolve matters mainly involving resource consents and designations, as well as other low-level disputes.
In the news release, he clarified that the current objection and appeal processes will continue to govern rulings issued before the tribunal’s creation.
“A major part of implementation will also be getting the digital and data foundations right,” Bishop said. “Councils hold critical environmental, hazard, spatial, monitoring and planning information, and central government will work alongside local government to build shared digital tools, regional e-plans and more consistent national planning information.”
The Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions, and Transport (MCERT) recently launched planning.govt.nz as the primary information source for the new framework to help councils not double investments and not rebuild systems multiple times.
“The website sets out how the transition will work, the key implementation milestones, and practical guidance for planning practitioners,” Bishop said in the news release. “It will be updated as implementation progresses so councils, businesses, practitioners and the public can see what is changing, when it is changing and what they need to do.”
MCERT is also providing councils with transition support.
Bishop said the new planning system aims to make it easier to build homes and infrastructure, develop renewable energy, and produce food and fibre. He added that the reforms seek to:
Court said the changes will provide more clarity through national policy direction, nationally consistent standards, and long-term regional spatial planning. According to him, more significant decisions will be made upfront under the new framework.
“The intention is to resolve big questions once, at the right level, rather than relitigating them plan by plan and consent by consent,” Court said in the government’s news release. “A developer should not face different planning rules each time they cross a council boundary.”
Here are some other recent news stories focusing on government announcements regarding new or planned laws.
On 19 August 2026, Bishop and Court announced the government’s plan to establish an independent urban land market officer, pursuant to an amendment paper to the new Planning Bill.
On 3 July 2026, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced that the Regulatory Systems (Occupational Regulation) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Tribunals) Amendment Bill had passed their final reading in Parliament.
Enjoy this story? Read the latest public sector news on the main page!
