New Zealand’s planning system is entering a major transition. On September 30, the Planning Act 2026 and the Natural Environment Act 2026 received Royal Assent. While the full system won’t completely replace the Resource Management Act (RMA) until 2030, immediate changes are already kicking in.
Here is what you need to know about the upcoming transition period and how it affects your resource consent applications.
The Transition Period
Starting one month after Royal Assent, from 30 Oct 2026, a multi-year transition period begins. During this time, the RMA remains the primary planning legislation. However, key amendments—specifically under a new section, s104(1A)—will force local councils to disregard certain effects when assessing land use applications.
Key Rules Council Must Disregard
When evaluating district land use activities, the council must disregard several specific factors:
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- Residential Design Details: For residential activities, councils must ignore glazing areas, balcony requirements, outdoor living space, internal layouts, minimum unit sizes, and general landscaping sizes (though ground permeability rules still apply).
- Commercial Factors: Assessments must disregard trade competition, retail distribution effects, lack of market demand, or a project’s financial viability.
- Neighborhood Concerns: Councils can no longer consider views from private property or the types of residents moving into a development.
These limitations should mean fewer hurdles for many developments, potentially reducing both the need for consent and the scope of council assessments.
Timing Matters
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- Submitted Before Transition: Applications lodged before the transition date of 30 October 2026 will be assessed under current Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP) and Hauraki Gulf Islands District Plan rules.
- Submitted After Transition: Applications will be assessed under the relevant plan, but with the narrowed s104(1A) assessment criteria.
Auckland Council is actively updating relevant plan chapters, with the first wave of zone updates launching soon on the Auckland Design Manual website.