Media release: RMA replacement Bills need work to realise potential
Wellington (Wednesday, 1 April 2026) - “New Zealand's resource management system is broken”, said Nick Clark, author of The New Zealand Initiative’s new research note RMA Reform: Getting the new system right. “Many attempts have been made over the past three decades to fix it. All have missed the mark.”
The latest attempt is the Government’s Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill, both currently before the Environment Select Committee.
The research note finds that the Bills have the right basic shape but are missing critical pieces for them to work as intended. Closing that gap is not just a matter of fine-tuning. It determines whether this reform succeeds or fails.
“The Government got the diagnosis right: the RMA had to be replaced”, said Mr Clark. “And for the first time, the original blueprint was clear and hit the mark: the new system starts with people having the right to use and enjoy their property. After thirty years of failure, this is the closest we have come to getting it right.
“An expert group then drew up a plan, Cabinet largely agreed with it. But drafting filed off the sharp edges. What was lost is not minor detail. It tips the balance from success to failure. There is still time to put back what was left out.
“The most striking gap is that, despite the whole reform being built around property rights, neither Bill mentions them. This is a fatal omission.”
The Bills also removed a longstanding requirement in the RMA for councils and ministers to weigh up the costs and benefits of decisions, without a replacement. That matters because the new system will hand more power to ministers to determine how our planning system works under their watch.
“Think of it like building a new motorway with no speed limits or road rules. The road might be well-designed, but without rules governing its use, things can still go wrong,” said Mr Clark.
The Government has chosen to keep legislation ‘lean’, leaving most details to be filled in by ministers. That only works if the Bills contain the guardrails that stop those powers from being misused or misread. Right now, those guardrails are not there.
“The Bills are also packed with vaguely worded goals without saying which take priority. This approach is a recipe for years of court battles.
“And for a reform intended to make housing affordable, provisions are missing to satisfy the goal of competitive urban land markets."
We are at a fork in the road. The promise is real and potentially historic. But so is the risk. The work to be done on these Bills in the coming months will decide whether this reform succeeds or becomes one more missed opportunity.
The Bills are currently before the Environment Select Committee. That forum is the best place to fix these issues before the election. The Government has signalled willingness to rework them to deliver on their intent.
“That is an encouraging sign. After 30 years learning what a broken resource management system costs, Parliament should not need another lesson,” concluded Mr Clark.
The research note, RMA Reform: Getting the new system right, is attached below.
ENDS
Nick Clark is available for comment. To schedule an interview, please contact:
Jamuel Enriquez, Marketing and Communications Manager
E: jamuel.enriquez@nzinitiative.org.nz
P: 021 022 34451
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About The New Zealand Initiative
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