The Government is in the process of undertaking significant changes and reforms to the resource management system. This is being done in three phases:
Phase 1 repealed the previous government’s Spatial Planning Act and Natural and Built Environment Act and reinstated the RMA. Phase 1 was completed in December 2023.
Phase 2 consists of amendments to the RMA and updates to national direction. All changes to the RMA now appear to be complete with the passing into law of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Act 2025 in August 2025. Consultation on three national direction packages occurred in mid-2025 and new and amended instruments are expected before Christmas 2025.
Phase 3 will introduce a new resource management system including new legislation to replace the RMA. A bill or bills is expected late in 2025 with enactment anticipated by mid-2026 and implementation commencing in 2027. Consultation on the new legislation will occur through the select committee process.
The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Act 2025 bought in a raft of changes to the RMA at the end of August 2025. Most of the changes relate to current resource consenting and compliance activities. The amendments to the RMA also introduced a prohibition on notification of plan changes by councils. This applies to all current plan making processes, including plan reviews that are not yet at the hearing stage.
Tasman District Council has two plan changes that are ready for notification that require ministerial approval to proceed. They are:
PC84 amends the TRMP to include new provisions to aid the implementation of Te Puna Waiora o Te Waikoropupū Springs and Wharepapa Arthur Marble Aquifer Water Conservation Order 2023. A request for ministerial approval to notify was submitted to the Ministry for the Environment on 1 September 2025. The Council is currently waiting for a decision from the Minister.
Tasman District Council welcomes the Minister for RMA Reform’s decision to direct Plan Change 81 and Change 1 to the Tasman Regional Policy Statement (TRPS) into the Streamlined Planning Process.
The decision recognises the importance of Tasman’s future growth and the district’s contribution to New Zealand’s housing supply, business land needs and broader economic wellbeing. It also acknowledges the urgency of providing more developable land to support a growing community.
The proposed plan change is intended to enable approximately 4,250 new homes and 80 additional hectares of business land. The Minister’s decision confirms that the proposal meets the tests for urgency, significant community need and alignment with national urban growth priorities. Read more(external link)
Bills to replace the Resource Management Act are expected in late 2025. In preparation for moving to the new system the Council has commenced background work in preparation for developing a new Regional Spatial Plan (RSP). The RSP is expected to build on and replace the current Future Development Strategy. Alongside this, work is continuing across the board with a focus on:
Over 2019 and 2020 Council staff evaluated the objectives and policies of the Tasman Regional Policy Statement (TRPS) and Tasman Resource Management Plan (TRMP). The purpose of this review was to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the provisions contained within these plans. It helps us understand if the TRPS and TRMP provisions are doing what they’re meant to do.
This evaluation process is a fundamental step in the policy review cycle and a requirement of the Resource Management Act 1991. It informs good quality plan-making and helps maintain confidence and integrity in the process. The results of this evaluation will inform the review of the TRPS and TRMP.
View the summarised evaluation reports:
Alternatively, view the full reports:
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