New Planning System to Speed Up NZ Infrastructure, Cut Costs and Boost Certainty

Bishop says the RMA has acted as a “handbrake on growth and opportunity,” slowing everything from housing development to energy generation and major transport upgrades.

 

The Government says its new planning system will significantly speed up the delivery of infrastructure, reduce consenting costs, and give councils, investors, developers and communities far greater certainty about where and how major projects can proceed. RMA Reform and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Under-Secretary Simon Court say the changes will finally remove the barriers created by the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) and usher in a modern system built for growth and long-term planning.

Ending the RMA’s Barrier to Development

Bishop says the RMA has acted as a “handbrake on growth and opportunity,” slowing everything from housing development to energy generation and major transport upgrades.

Evidence from the Infrastructure Commission highlights the scale of the problem:

• Infrastructure developers collectively spend $1.29 billion each year on RMA consenting.

• Direct consenting costs have climbed 70% since 2014.

• The time required to obtain consents has increased by 150% over the same period.

Bishop says the new planning framework will reverse these trends by reducing duplicated processes, improving consistency across regions and providing faster, clearer pathways for major projects.

A System Built With Infrastructure at Its Core

Under the new system, infrastructure planning will be proactive rather than reactive. The reforms include:

1. A national goal for infrastructure delivery

A clear legal goal will ensure that planning decisions support timely construction of infrastructure that meets present and future needs.

2. Long-term spatial plans that map infrastructure needs

These plans will identify:

• Where infrastructure should go

• When it will be required

• How it will align with future housing and development patterns

This gives councils, developers, utility providers and investors long-term certainty—something the sector has been seeking for decades.

3. Earlier protection of critical sites

Land needed for roads, schools, hospitals, energy networks and utilities will be secured sooner through improved designation processes, reducing delays and disputes.

4. Simpler, faster consenting

Large infrastructure projects will still require approvals, but standardised regulations and streamlined processes will:

• Reduce delays

• Lower compliance costs

• Eliminate excessive bespoke assessments

5. Infrastructure allowed in protected areas when necessary

Nationally significant infrastructure will be able to proceed in protected areas only when no reasonable alternatives exist, ensuring critical needs can still be met while maintaining environmental safeguards.

6. More consistent rules nationwide

National environmental standards will codify rules for common activities such as:

• Earthworks

• Noise

• Stormwater

• Transport corridors

This consistency removes the need to re-litigate standard engineering solutions and reduces the workload for councils and developers alike.

Certainty and Direction for Decades to Come

Under-Secretary Simon Court says these reforms provide the clarity the sector has been requesting for more than 20 years.

“For the first time, the law will include a clear national goal for infrastructure, supported by national policy direction that locks in long-term planning for roads, pipes, power networks and renewable energy.”

Court says national standards will ensure consents are needed only for activities that fall outside well-established norms, which will significantly reduce delays for familiar, low-risk works.

“This ensures regions can grow, electrification can accelerate, and nationally significant projects can proceed with much greater predictability.”

He says the reforms will remove “unnecessary red tape that has stifled infrastructure development in New Zealand for far too long.”

Legislative Process and Public Input

The planning reform bills will be introduced to Parliament this afternoon, with the Government aiming to complete them in 2026.

Once passed:

• National policy direction will be finalised within nine months.

• Mandatory national standards will be developed progressively and aligned with council planning cycles.

• New Zealanders will be able to submit feedback through the Select Committee process.

The Government says the system will ultimately support faster housing delivery, more efficient agricultural land use, better environmental outcomes, and greater investment in national infrastructure.