Yesterday, the Government released and commenced public consultation on proposed changes to national direction under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) as part of Phase Two of its resource management reforms. 'National direction' captures national policy statements, national environmental standards, national planning standards and regulations. Together these documents guide and direct councils' development and implementation of regional and district plans and rules, and therefore play an important role in RMA planning and consenting processes.
The Government released three discussion documents which propose amendments to 12 existing instruments and the introduction of four new instruments, grouped into three packages:
Public consultation on the three packages is now open until 11.59pm on Sunday 27 July 2025. There will also be a fourth package focused on housing growth, with consultation expected to commence in early June.
The package of proposals is the biggest reform of national direction in the RMA's history, with wide ranging implications across various sectors. The consultation process provides an opportunity to have your say on the final form of the proposed documents. If you have any questions, require advice about the proposed changes or would like assistance providing feedback as part of consultation, please get in touch with one of our team.
