Resource management reform

The Government is working on a phased approach to update the Resource Management system in New Zealand.

Key changes so far

• The Natural and Built Environment Act and the Spatial Planning Act that replaced the RMA in August 2023 have been repealed. We are back to the RMA and regional councils will have to assess resource consent applications based on the RMA when, for example, deciding on consent duration.
• The Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill was passed into legislation in October 2024.
• The Fast-track Approvals Act - the bill was passed into law in December 2024 after being heard by the Environment Select Committee. Its purpose is to speed up the approval process to deliver infrastructure and other development projects with significant regional or national benefits.
• The requirement to notify new regional freshwater plans by the end of 2024 at the latest has been extended to the end of 2027. Provisions have been put in place to prevent Regional Councils from notifying plan changes prior to December 2025 (or a new NPS-FM being in place).
• The Government is currently progressing changes to the Freshwater Farm Plan system to be more cost-effective and practical for farmers, while the current roll out of Freshwater Farm Plans is paused.
• The Government introduced the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill in December 2025 and is currently going through the Select Committee process.

Current changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) – second amendment bill (Consenting and Other System Changes)

The objective of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill (the Bill) is to progress Government priorities including:

• Farming and the Primary Sector – The Bill amends certification and auditing of farm plans, ensures timely consent processing for wood processing facilities and enables national direction to facilitate aquaculture improvements more easily. The objective is to enhance investment certainty and support growth.
• Parts of this Bill address Infrastructure and Energy, Housing Growth and Natural Hazards and Emergencies.
• The Bill also amends the RMA to enhance compliance and enforcement and the consenting regime, reduce regulatory uncertainty, address system gaps and clarify policy intent to support a well-functioning resource management system.

The Bill is going through the Select Committee Process and is expected to be passed into law by mid-2025. DairyNZ made a submission to advocate for pragmatic outcomes for farmers.

Targeted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) - first amendment bill

The Government introduced a new resource management amendment bill to Parliament. The changes related to the Te Mana o te Wai hierarchy of obligations, Stock Exclusion Regulations, Intensive Winter Grazing regulations, Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) and the process to develop or amend national direction. These changes largely reflected in DairyNZ’s submission.

Replacing the Resource Management Act

The Coalition Government is intending to replace the RMA with two new laws in phase three of the resource management reform. The government has indicated laws will focus on:

• managing the environmental effects that arise from activities we use natural resources for.
• enabling urban development and infrastructure. This law will also be aligned with the Government’s Going for Housing Growth plan and its 30-year National Infrastructure Plan.

The new Acts will be guided by core principles agreed by the Government and advice from an Expert Advisory Group in the form of a blueprint. The blueprint has been delivered to Ministers and officials but is not available to the public yet.

DairyNZ’s response

DairyNZ submitted to the Select Committee process for the Fast-Track Approvals Bill and the two Resource Management Amendment Bills. These submissions focussed on improving the current system to be more pragmatic and to have enduring policy settings for farming.

DairyNZ is advocating for regional councils to utilise the delay in notification timeframes to go back to communities for further discussion around the economic implications of their environmental limits. We are working with regional councils to ensure their processes and evidence reflects good science.

We want to see a national policy framework that supports constant improvement focused on good practice implemented at the farm level, and the development of solutions at farm and catchment scales. We want a new NPS-FM to survive any change in government.

We are advocating for targeted changes to the RMA in response to recent High Court decisions dealing with discharges from farming and consents (sections 70 and 107, RMA).

DairyNZ is providing feedback to officials on how improved objectives for Freshwater Farm Plans could best be achieved.

What it means for farmers

Significant changes may yet occur, but while the targets, methods and timeframes may change, there will still be national and regional policy direction requiring environmental improvement.

For now, farmers need to keep working on and following national regulations brought in with the NES for freshwater, for example, Intensive Winter Grazing, the cap on nitrogen use and reporting, and stock exclusion requirement. The regional plans and rules also apply as before.