RMA era ends as new system passes Parliament

Bills to replace the Resource Management Act have passed their third reading in Parliament, marking the most significant overhaul of New Zealand’s planning system in more than three decades, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court say. “Today is a major milestone. After 35 years of the RMA, Parliament has passed legislation for a fundamentally different way of planning for New Zealand’s future,” Mr Bishop says. “For too long, the RMA has made it harder and more expensive to build the homes and infrastructure New Zealand needs, develop renewable energy, produce food and fibre, and invest with confidence. “At the same time, it has failed to deliver the environmental outcomes New Zealanders should expect. We have ended up with the worst of both worlds: a system that is costly, complex and difficult to navigate, without delivering effectively for either growth or the environment. “The Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill replace that system with one that is tightly scoped, simpler, faster, more consistent, and much clearer about the choices we need to make as a country. “A fundamental change is that more of the big decisions will be made upf