Resource Management Act reforms begin to come into effect

Published on 28 October 2026

Coromandel countryside.jpeg

Thames-Coromandel District Council is preparing to put into effect the first transitional changes from the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) to the newly passed Planning Act and Natural Environment Act.  

The current system under the RMA will continue for now, but over the next few years there will be a transition to the new system.  

The first changes, which have been made as amendments to the the RMA, take effect on Friday 30 October 2026, and will affect the way consents are treated currently. 

The amendments require the Council to disregard specific environmental and development-related effects when processing district land-use consent applications. 

The excluded matters are: 

For all district land use activities and notices of requirement: 

  • negative effects of development on trade competition, including on competing providers of input goods and services 
  • effects on retail distribution 
  • any lack of demand for a project 
  • the fact that a project is not financially viable 
  • the type of residents to be housed in a new development 
  • views from private property 

For all residential activities (unless it’s protecting historic heritage): 

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

Some provisions of our District Plan may need to be treated differently during the transition. We are currently working on a document to sit alongside the District Plan which will identify the matters in the District Plan that require disregarding. This document will be available on our website after 30 October. 

Anyone preparing a resource consent application, and any advisers working in this field, should consider the transitional arrangements when preparing applications and contact Council early if you're uncertain. 

Applications lodged before the transition period has begun will continue to be assessed under the RMA and relevant District Plan provisions that apply before the transition begins on 30 October 2026. 

Applications lodged once the transition period has begun will be assessed against the amended RMA under the transitional consenting provisions. 

We are working on building a web page with more information and aim to have that published soon. 

Find out more on the Government's planning reforms

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