Second RMA Amendment Bill Passes, Cutting Red Tape and Boosting Development

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said the legislation marks a decisive step toward freeing New Zealand from decades of bureaucratic gridlock.

The Government’s second Resource Management Act (RMA) Amendment Bill has officially passed into law, introducing major reforms aimed at speeding up development, streamlining consenting, and reducing regulatory barriers across multiple sectors. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said the legislation marks a decisive step toward freeing New Zealand from decades of bureaucratic gridlock.

“The RMA has been holding New Zealand back for far too long,” Bishop said. “It has allowed successive governments and councils to say ‘no’ to progress—blocking housing, infrastructure, renewable energy, and other vital projects. This Bill is about saying ‘yes’ to growth, ‘yes’ to jobs, and ‘yes’ to getting New Zealand moving again.”

While the Government’s full replacement for the RMA—two new planning laws—will be introduced later this year, passed in 2026, and come into effect in 2027, Bishop said interim measures in this Amendment Bill will deliver immediate benefits.

Five Core Reform Packages

The new legislation is built around five broad reform areas:

1. Infrastructure and Renewable Energy – Faster, simpler consenting processes for clean energy projects and large-scale infrastructure.

2. Housing Supply – A streamlined process for removing heritage protections that block housing, including a requirement for Auckland Council to enable greater housing and development around City Rail Link stations.

3. Farming and Primary Sector – Reducing regulatory burdens for farmers, including urgent changes to water discharge rules to prevent operational shutdowns.

4. Emergency and Natural Hazards – Updates to improve responsiveness to disasters and hazard management.

5. System Improvements – Measures to reduce unnecessary plan changes and align RMA processes with the upcoming planning system.

Targeted Housing and Urban Growth Measures

One of the more high-profile provisions forces Auckland Council to allow greater intensification and development near key transport hubs benefitting from City Rail Link investment. The Government says this will maximise the return on public transport infrastructure by encouraging higher-density housing and commercial development in these areas.

Another provision removes heritage protections from the derelict Gordon Wilson Flats in Wellington—long regarded as unsafe—paving the way for demolition and the construction of new student accommodation.

Stopping Costly and Unnecessary Plan Changes

To ensure a smooth transition to the new planning system, the Bill places a moratorium on councils making most RMA plan or policy changes until the new legislation is in place in 2027. Exceptions will apply for critical work aligned with Government priorities, such as managing natural hazards.

The Bill also creates a new regulation-making power allowing the responsible Minister to amend or remove parts of council RMA plans that are proven to hinder economic growth, development, or job creation.

Part of a Three-Phase RMA Reform Programme

Bishop stressed that this Bill is Phase Two of the Government’s three-phase reform:

• Phase One – Repeal of the previous Government’s complex RMA reforms before Christmas last year.

• Phase Two – The current Bill, alongside the new fast-track consenting system and the largest package of national policy direction changes in New Zealand’s history (due by year’s end).

• Phase Three – Full replacement of the RMA with two new laws emphasising private property rights, to be introduced in 2025 and operational by 2027.

The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill will come into force the day after it receives royal assent, expected within days. Bishop described it as “a significant turning point” for getting New Zealand building again.