Changing to the new planning system

New planning laws are replacing the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The new laws - called the Planning Act and Natural Environment Act - will change how land use planning and consenting works in New Zealand.

Because the change is significant, there is a transition period between the old and new systems. The transition period started on October 30 and is likely to continue until we have our replacement for the District Plan (a Land Use Plan) around 2029.

What the transition period means for resource consents

During the transition period, resource consent applications will continue to be processed under the RMA - but there will be some changes to how applications are assessed.

When assessing applications for residential activities, Council must disregard the following effects:

• the area of glazing
• the presence or absence of balconies
• outdoor living space
• the internal layout
• the size of a residential unit
• the size of landscaped areas, except in relation to permeability.

These factors still apply where historic heritage is being considered.

Council must also disregard:

• negative effects of development on trade competition, including on competing providers of input goods and services
• effects on retail distribution
• for a project, any lack of demand or whether the project is financially viable
• the type of residents to be housed in a new development
• views from private property.

Proposals may no longer require resource consent if any of these excluded effects was the sole reason consent was required. There is a new alternative permitted activity pathway for this situation.

Applications lodged before the transition period started

All applications lodged before October 30 must be assessed against the existing District Plan and RMA provisions.

If you have already lodged an application and want it assessed under the new RMA provisions, you will need to withdraw it and lodge a new application. There is no second application deposit, but you will need to pay processing costs for both.

If you are not sure whether this applies to you, contact your agent or the planner handling your application.

Which District Plan rules are affected?

The new system means some rules and provisions in the Waipā District Plan no longer apply, or now apply differently. We’re working through the plan to confirm exactly which ones, and every council in New Zealand is doing the same.

To make sure rules are read and applied the same way across the country where possible, we are working with the New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI), the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport, and other councils.

What happens next

We will publish the list of affected rules on this page. It will either be a table showing each affected provision, or notes added directly to the online District Plan.

We won’t be making a formal plan change yet. We want to see how the new rules work in practice first, so any changes we make later are based on real experience.

We welcome any questions or feedback you have along the way.

More information

Further information is available on the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport website.

We are also finalising a Waipā specific guide for practitioners – reach out if you’d like a copy.