The End of an Era for RMA – How the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill Will Reshape Auckland’s Urban Future

By James Chong | Published on 11 December 2025 

Since 1991, the Resource Management Act (RMA) has been the backbone of resource‑management, land‑use planning, consenting, and environmental regulation in New Zealand. But decades of criticism—from developers, councils, builders, investors, and environmentalists alike, describe the RMA as confusing, slow, inconsistent, and often a barrier to housing, infrastructure, and sensible development. 

In late 2025, the Government unveiled its plan to finally consign the RMA to history: the existing Act will be replaced with two separate, purpose‑driven laws: the Planning Bill (regulating land use and enabling development) and the Natural Environment Bill (managing resource impacts and environmental protection).

In a major announcement, the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill were introduced to Parliament on 9 December 2025, with the Government aiming to pass them into law in 2026. Urgent transitional amendments will take effect immediately to ensure a smooth shift, and all consents currently being processed under the RMA will receive a two-year extension, aiming for completion by 2031. This marks what some are calling a “once‑in‑a‑generation shift” in how New Zealand designs, builds, and protects its built and natural environments. 

What Changes, Big and Small, Are Coming 

Here’s a breakdown of the major reforms and why they matter for architects, planners, developers, and communities. 

🔹 Separation of Land‑Use Planning and Environmental Protection 

• Planning Bill: Focuses on urban development, land‑use zoning, housing, infrastructure, and private property rights. 

  
  

• Natural Environment Bill: Manages the use of natural resources—land, air, water (freshwater, coastal, marine), biodiversity—and sets clear environmental limits. 

  
  

This separation clarifies roles, reduces conflicts, and creates a more efficient regulatory framework. 

🔹 Standardized, Simplified Planning and Zoning 

• Nationally consistent zones will replace hundreds of bespoke local zones. 

  
  

• Over 100 district, regional, and local plans will be consolidated into 17 combined regional plans, integrating spatial planning, land use, and environmental protections. 

  
  

• 30-year regional spatial plans will identify growth areas, infrastructure corridors, and protected zones. 

  
  

This simplification speeds up consenting, reduces uncertainty, and helps developers plan across regions more effectively. 

🔹 Fewer Consents, Faster Approvals, Less Bureaucracy 

• Many low-impact activities will no longer require consent. 

  
  

• Consent conditions must be necessary and proportionate, cutting red tape. 

  
  

• A centralized digital platform (ePlan) will streamline applications, tracking, and enforcement. 

  
  

This is particularly transformative for medium-density housing, adaptive reuse, and smaller infill developments, which previously faced lengthy approval processes. 

🔹 Councils Lose Overlapping Burdens; National Direction Increases 

• Previous layers of regional policy statements, district plans, and local variations are replaced by uniform national direction and combined regional plans. 

  
  

• Central government will guide standardized zones and national standards for housing, infrastructure, and environmental protection. 

  
  

This change strengthens consistency across regions and reduces administrative overhead for councils. 

🔹 Transition Period and Hybrid Rules 

• Full enactment is expected by mid-2026, with urgent transitional legislation already in effect.

  
  

• Existing RMA consents get a two-year extension, aiming for completion by 2031. 

  
  

• New applications use a transitional RMA process, blending old rules with consent-free pathways and national standards. 

  
  

The result is a hybrid phase: the RMA remains technically in effect but under modified, streamlined rules, impacting feasibility, timing, and compliance. 

Key Features of the New System 

• Fewer effects managed: Internal site matters, retail impacts, visual amenity, competition, and financial viability removed from consent scope. 

  
  

• Clearer consultation: Clarity on who must be consulted and when, including iwi participation. 

  
  

• Faster dispute resolution: A new Planning Tribunal to resolve conflicts efficiently and cost-effectively. 

  
  

• Better enforcement: Central oversight ensures consistent and effective compliance nationwide. 

What It Means for Architecture, Urban Design & Housing in Auckland 

🏘️ More Room for Medium-Density, Human-Scale Developments 

With simplified planning, fewer consents, and standardized zones, smaller infill developments—terraces, townhouses, low- to mid-rise apartments, courtyard housing, and medium-density subdivisions, become much more feasible. Projects delayed under the RMA may now proceed faster with reduced risk. 

🔄 Easier Adaptive Reuse, Renovation, and Incremental Upgrades 

The new system facilitates retrofitting, repurposing, and intensification of existing housing stock, reducing reliance on greenfield development and leveraging existing infrastructure. 

🌆 More Predictable Urban Growth & Infrastructure Planning 

• Nationally standardized zones + combined regional plans + digital platforms = greater predictability.

  
  

• Developers and architects can plan long-term, size projects appropriately, and anticipate permissible uses. 

  
  

⚠️ Potential Risks 

• Simplification may reduce community consultation and environmental oversight. 

  
  

• Less formal iwi engagement and weaker protection for heritage and natural sites could occur. 

  
  

• Oversight from architects and planners will be crucial to ensure sustainable, design-led outcomes. 

Why This Reform Matters Now 

• Addresses Auckland’s housing crisis, infrastructure backlog, and rising population. 

  
  

• Reduces bottlenecks and red tape that have slowed growth and increased costs. 

  
  

• Unlocks opportunities for innovation, medium-density housing, mixed-use development, and human-centric urban design. 

  
  

For communities, this could mean more housing options, faster delivery, and revitalized neighborhoods, but vigilance is needed to protect the environment, cultural heritage, and social wellbeing. 

What Architects, Planners, and Developers Should Do 

• Track the passage of the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill and rollout of new zoning maps. 

  
  

• Reassess design strategies to leverage medium-density, mixed-use, infill, and adaptive reuse opportunities. 

  
  

• Advocate for good design, sustainability, and community value, especially as regulations loosen. 

  
  

• Engage early with iwi, stakeholders, and communities to safeguard cultural and environmental interests. 

Conclusion — A Turning Point for Auckland’s Built Environment 

The transition from the RMA to the Planning and Natural Environment Bills is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine how Auckland and New Zealand manage land, housing, and the environment. 

For architects, planners, and developers, this is the chance to unlock creativity, deliver sustainable, human-scale urban projects, and shape livable, inclusive communities. Done right, this reform could transform slow, consent-heavy frustration into visionary, people-centric urban growth. 

Disclaimer: Views expressed are my own and do not represent any organization or employer. Content is for general information only and should not be taken as professional advice.