The new planning system: what changes now and what doesn't
The Planning Act 2026 and the Natural Environment Act 2026 became law on 30 September and create a clear transition to replace the Resource Management Act. A common misunderstanding is that the whole new system starts straight away. It doesn’t. The new Acts come into effect on 30 October 2026, which starts the transition period. Full implementation is expected to take several years, and the new consenting system is not expected to begin until around 2030.
What stays the same
During the transition period, resource consents are still applied for and decided under the RMA, using the district and regional plans that apply now. For most applications, including subdivision and regional consents, it is business as usual. The rules, processes and timeframes are the same as they are today.
What changes on 30 October 2026
For district land-use consents lodged on or after 30 October 2026, councils must disregard a set of 'out-of-scope' matters. For residential activities, these are glazing, balconies, outdoor living space, internal layout, the size of a residential unit, and the size of landscaped areas. Landscaped area still counts where it relates to permeability, and all of these still count where historic heritage is involved. The changes give greater clarity to certain matters that should be disregarded, namely trade competition, retail distribution, whether a project is in demand or financially viable, the type of residents a development will house, and views from private property.
Councils must ignore these matters even where the district plan still has rules on them. They cannot request further information on them, use them to decide who is affected or whether to notify, or impose conditions that deal only with them.
Where every reason for consent is out of scope, the council can confirm the activity as permitted and no consent is needed. In some cases, this will save significant time and cost.
Watch this space
The transitional changes look simple on paper, but how councils apply them will become clearer as the first applications are processed, and early interpretations may differ. The political parties also differ on how the new system should work, and the general election on 7 November 2026 could affect how the legislation is implemented or lead to further changes. We are following developments closely.
What this means for you
The date you lodge a land use consent application matters. If you have a residential project, or you are unsure how the changes affect you, get in touch and we can talk it through.
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