Articles tagged with Resource Management
Wellington Heritage Planning Review: RMA Reform to Boost Housing and Jobs
6 days ago | 160 viewsRMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has released a report and initiated consultation on modifying Wellington’s heritage planning rules for five key sites, following concerns from the Wellington City Council that current provisions hinder economic growth and development. The report suggests that removing or altering these heritage controls could enable around 770 new apartments, generate $280 million in construction activity, and support 300 jobs, with public and stakeholder feedback now being sought before any regulatory changes. The affected sites include the Courtenay Place Heritage Area, Karori Tunnel, Kelburn Viaduct, former General Headquarters Building, and Miramar oil tank, with consultation open to relevant authorities, iwi groups, and the public.
Tags: Chris Bishop Wellington City Council Karori Tunnel Kelburn Viaduct George A Hart Courtenay Place Heritage Area Miramar oil tank Resource Management Act Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga New Zealand Defense ForceNew Zealand Minerals Strategy Year One: Boosting Growth, Jobs, and Exports
2 weeks ago | 204 viewsOne year after launching A Minerals Strategy for New Zealand to 2040, the government has made significant progress by implementing policies and reforms that have increased mineral exports, production, employment, and permitting activity. Key achievements include establishing a Critical Minerals List, enhancing global partnerships, improving geoscience data access, and creating a more efficient regulatory framework, which have boosted investor confidence and sector growth. Moving forward, the focus will be on expanding international partnerships, attracting investment, reviewing royalty settings, and maximizing value from critical minerals through processing, refining, and innovation to sustain long-term economic benefits.
Tags: Shane Jones Minerals Strategy New Zealand Critical Minerals Mineral Exports Resources Minister Minerals Sector Petroleum and Minerals Regional Infrastructure Fund Resource Management ReformsNew Planning System Reforms Boost NZ Economy and Simplify Resource Management
2 weeks ago | 222 viewsResource Management Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court welcome the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill amendments that improve New Zealand's new planning system by enhancing workability while retaining its core design. The reforms aim to replace the Resource Management Act with a more efficient system that supports food production, housing, infrastructure, and renewable energy development, projecting significant economic benefits and reduced compliance costs. Key changes include refined iwi participation agreements, extended implementation timelines, strengthened safeguards on resource levies, and streamlined environmental regulations to balance economic growth with environmental protection.
Tags: Chris Bishop Simon Court Catherine Wedd Resource Management Act Mana Whakahono ā Rohe Waikato Environment Committee New Zealand Government Planning Bill Natural Environment BillNew Zealand Passes Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill to Improve Data and Transparency
1 month ago | 278 viewsThe Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill, introduced to Parliament on June 16, aims to enhance New Zealand’s environmental reporting by improving data quality, accessibility, and relevance. It proposes changes to reporting content, timeframes, and roles to provide clearer, more meaningful insights into environmental changes and government progress. The Bill seeks to support better transparency, informed policy decisions, and flexible reporting on complex environmental issues, and will now be reviewed by the Environment Select Committee.
Tags: New Zealand environmental reporting Nicola Grigg Environmental Reporting Amendment Bill Environmental Reporting Act 2015 Parliament Environment Select Committee environmental data climate adaptation resource managementNew National Environmental Standards Simplify Papakāinga Housing on Māori Land
2 months ago | 512 viewsThe New Zealand Government has introduced National Environmental Standards for Papakāinga (NES-P) to simplify and standardize rules across councils, enabling up to 10 homes to be built on ancestral Māori land while protecting the environment and residents' health. These standards address previous planning barriers, support collective use of Māori land for intergenerational living, and form part of broader reforms under the Resource Management Act to facilitate housing growth and infrastructure development. The NES-P will take effect on 2 July, incorporating feedback from consultations and clarifying provisions related to land use, ancillary activities, setbacks, and protections for cultural and environmental values.
Tags: Chris Bishop Tama Potaka Māori land Papakāinga National Environmental Standards Resource Management Act RMA Reform New Zealand Government Māori Development Treaty of WaitangiGovernment Launches $400M Incentives Fund to Boost Housing Growth and Support Councils
2 months ago | 532 viewsThe New Zealand Government is investing $400 million over four years in the Incentives for Growth Fund to encourage local councils to support housing growth by providing payments tied to the number of new home consents they approve. This fund aims to transform housing development from a cost burden into a revenue opportunity for councils, helping them finance necessary infrastructure and services ahead of population growth. The initiative is part of the broader Going for Housing Growth programme, which seeks to reform planning laws, improve infrastructure funding, and align council incentives to better address the country’s housing crisis.
Tags: David Seymour Chris Bishop Simon Watts Incentives for Growth Fund Housing Growth Local Government Budget 2026 Going for Housing Growth Resource Management ActGovernment Investigates Wellington and Hamilton Planning Rules Impacting Housing and Growth
2 months ago | 537 viewsAn investigation has been launched under the Resource Management Act to assess whether planning rules in Wellington and Hamilton are hindering housing growth, infrastructure development, and economic progress. Key concerns include restrictive heritage provisions in Wellington limiting building heights and costly upgrade requirements, as well as Hamilton’s regulations on electric vehicle infrastructure and planting rules that increase development costs and reduce usable space. The Ministry for the Environment will review these issues and may recommend changes to facilitate growth while balancing heritage protection, with decisions expected by year-end.
Tags: Chris Bishop Wellington City Council Hamilton Resource Management Act Eden Park Courtenay Place Karori Tunnel Kelburn Viaduct Weta FX Wingnut FilmsNew Zealand Updates Marine Aquaculture Rules to Boost Growth and Innovation
3 months ago | 531 viewsThe Government has updated the National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture to simplify regulations, reduce costs, and support innovation while maintaining environmental protection. These changes aim to ease consenting processes, enable research and trials, and provide clearer national direction, contributing to the sector’s growth toward a $3 billion annual revenue goal. The updates, effective from June 4, are part of broader reforms to improve resource management and support sustainable economic development in New Zealand.
Tags: Chris Bishop Shane Jones Marine Aquaculture National Environmental Standards RMA Reform Aquaculture Development Plan New Zealand Government Resource Management Act Aquaculture Regulations Environmental ProtectionNew Zealand Government Launches 3-Month Window for Local Government Reform Proposals
3 months ago | 560 viewsThe New Zealand Government is offering councils a three-month “Head Start” window to propose reorganisations aimed at simplifying local government by creating larger, more efficient unitary authorities that reduce duplication and improve decision-making. Proposals must be realistic, support the new planning system, maintain strong local representation, and deliver better value, with final decisions expected in 2027 and changes implemented by the 2028 local elections. If councils do not submit credible proposals, the Government will enforce reforms through a backstop process to ensure nationwide improvements in local governance.
Tags: Chris Bishop Simon Watts New Zealand local government reform councils Head Start pathway unitary authorities Cabinet resource management reform 2028 local electionsFast-Track Approval Granted for Pound Road Industrial Land Development in Christchurch
3 months ago | 638 viewsThe Pound Road industrial land development in Christchurch, covering 60.4 hectares and providing up to 84 industrial lots, has received Fast-track approval, marking the 20th project approved under this process and the seventh in the South Island. This project is expected to contribute $451 million to the economy during construction and support long-term economic growth by accommodating light manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics, while providing infrastructure such as roads and three-waters services. The Fast-track process continues to facilitate significant regional developments, with 45 projects currently progressing and approvals granted under various acts to streamline growth and job creation.
Tags: Chris Bishop Shane Jones Ngāi Tahu Property Development Holdings Pound Road Christchurch Infrastructure Minister Regional Development Minister Resource Management Act Wildlife ActNew Zealand Eases EV Charger Consenting with National Permitted Activity Standards
4 months ago | 761 viewsThe New Zealand Government has amended the National Environmental Standards for Electricity Transmission Activities (NES-ETA) to introduce nationally consistent permitted activity standards for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, removing confusing local consenting barriers and making it easier to build chargers. These changes, effective from 7 May 2026, cover all types of EV chargers and include conditions to manage environmental and community effects, while complementing a $52.7 million investment to expand the public charging network from 1,800 to an expected 4,550 points. This reform aims to accelerate EV adoption by simplifying infrastructure development, supporting the Government’s goal of 10,000 chargers by 2030, and aligning with broader resource management and planning system improvements.
Tags: Chris Bishop New Zealand electric vehicle EV charging infrastructure Resource Management Act ChargeNet Meridian National Environmental Standards RMA Reform MinisterGovernment Lowers Auckland Housing Capacity Target to 1.4 Million Homes
4 months ago | 841 viewsThe Government will introduce legislation to amend the Resource Management Act, reducing Auckland Council’s Plan Change 120 minimum housing capacity from 2 million to 1.4 million homes while still supporting significant growth through upzoning and infrastructure-aligned development. The legislation also resolves transitional issues for developers affected by previous rule changes and aims to enable further housing opportunities, particularly around transit corridors and the City Rail Link. Auckland Council will revise the plan based on guiding principles, and the updated process will allow public input before final decisions are made.
Tags: Chris Bishop Auckland Council Plan Change 120 Resource Management Act Housing and RMA Reform Auckland housing National Policy Statement on Urban Development City Rail Link Medium Density Residential Standards Auckland Unitary PlanGovernment Lowers Auckland Housing Capacity Requirement to 1.6 Million Homes
5 months ago | 943 viewsThe Government will amend the Resource Management Act to reduce Auckland Council’s minimum housing capacity requirement under Plan Change 120 from over 2 million to 1.6 million homes, allowing more targeted growth around the city centre, rapid transit stations, and metropolitan centres. This change provides Auckland Council greater flexibility to respond to public feedback and focus development where infrastructure supports it, while still meeting national urban development policies. Additionally, the Government will investigate and potentially adjust planning controls in Auckland’s CBD to unlock further housing and business potential, ensuring growth aligns with economic and liveability goals.
Tags: Chris Bishop Auckland Council Resource Management Act Plan Change 120 Medium Density Residential Standards City Rail Link Auckland Unitary Plan National Policy Statement on Urban Development Eden Park New Zealand GovernmentNew Zealand's 30-Year National Infrastructure Plan Unveiled by Minister Bishop
5 months ago | 943 viewsInfrastructure Minister Chris Bishop introduced the National Infrastructure Plan in Parliament, emphasizing its role in enhancing New Zealand’s prosperity through improved planning, funding, and maintenance of infrastructure over the next 30 years. The Plan acknowledges existing challenges such as inefficiencies and fragmented asset management despite high infrastructure spending, and outlines ten priority actions including hospital investment, water renewals, transport project sequencing, flood resilience, and legislative reforms. The Government has begun implementing many of these priorities and will respond to the Plan’s recommendations by June 2026, seeking cross-party engagement to build durable consensus for future infrastructure development.
Tags: Chris Bishop National Infrastructure Plan New Zealand Infrastructure Commission National Party Infrastructure Minister Health New Zealand Auckland Council Regional Infrastructure Fund Resource Management Act City Rail LinkEden Park to Host More Major Events with New Government Planning Rule Changes
5 months ago | 955 viewsThe New Zealand Government is reforming outdated planning rules to enable Eden Park, Auckland’s largest stadium, to host more and diverse major events, boosting local and national economic growth. Changes include increasing permitted concerts from 12 to 32 annually, allowing longer event durations, removing restrictions on night sports games, and enabling various community and cultural events without resource consent. These reforms, expected by April 2026, leverage new powers under the Resource Management Act to modernize Eden Park’s operations, supporting job creation, tourism, and Auckland’s status as a world-class destination.
Tags: Chris Bishop Louise Upston Simeon Brown Eden Park Auckland New Zealand Resource Management Act RMA Reform major events government planning