If you lodge a resource consent application during New Zealand’s transition to the new planning system, it will generally continue to be processed under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), with transitional amendments.

The Planning Act 2026 and Natural Environment Act 2026 received Royal assent on 30 September 2026. Their implementation is staged, with national direction and new regional plans being developed before the full changeover. This means a comprehensive ‘transition stage’ in between the existing and new legislation.

For property owners, developers and infrastructure providers, the practical questions are how the RMA is applied to an application, how long the transition will take, and what happens to existing approvals.

This article explains application timing, the transition milestones and existing consents. Our earlier article, RMA reform: resource consent changes from 30 October 2026, explains the immediate changes to application assessment.

Which rules apply during RMA reform?

• Resource consent applications lodged before 30 October 2026 and still undetermined on that date must continue under the RMA as it stood immediately before Royal assent on 30 September 2026.
• Applications lodged during the transition period must be processed and determined under the RMA as it stands when the application is lodged.
• These arrangements continue where an application remains undetermined at the specified transition date.

How long will the RMA transition take?

The new system is expected to begin operating fully from around 2030. During this transition period, the Planning Act provides for a fresh set of national and local planning documents that need to be developed in sequence, as each document must implement and align with the relevant instrument that goes before it. The transition period ends on the ‘specified transition date’ (more on this later).

The statutory milestones are:

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These timeframes run from Royal assent or the relevant preceding planning milestone. The overall programme will depend on the timing of national direction and progress through the planning processes.

When does the RMA stop applying?

The specified transition date is the point at which the new system takes over from the RMA. It will be set by Order in Council once the required regional spatial plans have been decided and the relevant land use and natural environment plans have been notified.

On the specified transition date for the relevant region or area:

• The new legislation replaces the RMA system, subject to transitional and savings provisions that preserve the RMA for specified applications and processes.
• Rules in notified proposed land use plans and natural environment plans will take legal effect. Plans that meet the statutory requirements for becoming operative will become operative.
• Existing RMA approvals, including resource consents, will generally be treated as their equivalent approvals under the new system.

The Acts also allow transition dates to be set for different regions, provided the required planning documents are sufficiently advanced for the areas concerned. This gives the transition some flexibility if regions progress at different rates.

Most projects will continue to work through RMA processes during the transition subject to amendments that took effect from 30 October 2026. Two changes are particularly relevant to resource consent applicants: additional procedural principles and limits on the matters councils can consider.  We’ve written a separate article that covers the details of those immediate amendments. Read More

Can provisions from the new system affect RMA decisions?

Generally, provisions prepared for the new system will not be taken into account in RMA decisions during the transition. There are, however, two important exceptions.

Initial national standards can introduce new requirements while the RMA still applies. Once in effect, they must be considered in relevant consent processes and may override inconsistent RMA plan rules.

Decided regional spatial plans will also become relevant. Councils must consider whether resource consent decisions are consistent with the relevant plan. Relevant future development strategies may matter before regional spatial plan decisions are made.

These links between the two systems mean clients should watch the content of new national direction and regional spatial plans even while their applications are still being considered under the RMA.

What happens to existing consents?

Existing resource consents, designations and other approvals will continue during the transition.

At the specified transition date, current RMA approvals will generally be carried into the new system as equivalent approvals.

Many expiring consents also benefit from extensions. The Planning Act provides for qualifying consents to continue until 24 months after the specified transition date.

Water-related consents remain subject to a maximum total duration of 35 years, and wastewater-network consents are excluded from this particular extension provision.

The extension rules need to be checked against the individual consent, including its activity type, expiry date and any applicable limits. Consent holders should confirm their position before relying on an extension or deciding when to apply for a replacement consent.

For clients and project teams, the practical step is to keep a clear record of lodgement dates, consent expiry dates and the rules that apply to each approval. Those details will determine how the transitional provisions affect an individual project.

Other changes during the transition

Restrictions on plan changes, including private plan changes

The existing restrictions on preparing or changing RMA plans, often called the Plan Stop, will continue until the specified transition date. From 1 January 2028, these restrictions will also apply to private plan changes.

Enforcement changes

Some enforcement changes will take effect during the transition. These include a power for the Environment Court or District Court to make an adverse publicity order.

A new Planning Tribunal is also expected to begin operating in 2027, dealing with specified administrative decisions relating to resource consents and designations.

What should property owners and developers do now?

RMA reform makes early planning advice valuable, particularly where a project involves multiple approvals, expiring consents or a proposed change in land use.

Before lodging a resource consent application:

1. Confirm the approvals your project needs. Identify the relevant district and regional consent requirements.

2. Check the transitional rules. Establish which amendments apply to your application and decision process.

3. Review any out-of-scope matters. Keep the assessment focused on effects the council can legally consider.

4. Record key dates. Keep clear records of lodgement dates, consent expiry dates and project milestones.

5. Monitor emerging plans and standards. Identify changes that could affect your site, infrastructure requirements or development options.

The right approach will depend on your project, location and existing approvals.

Talk to Inovo about resource consent applications and RMA reform

If you have questions about the reforms or would like to understand how future spatial planning processes may affect your property, get in touch with Inovo's planning team. We can assist you to review emerging regional spatial plans, identify opportunities and constraints, and prepare submissions where appropriate. We will continue to monitor the reform programme as it evolves.  

Prepared by Clara Casaes, Resource Management Planner, and Jono Begg, Resource Management Planning Team Manager. Published on 30 October 2026.

This article contains general information and opinion based on our expertise. It is provided free of charge and does not constitute legal advice.

Have you got further questions about this topic or our other services? Our full planning team is always happy to help – drop us an email planning@inovo.nz, or phone us on 020 4000 0294.

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New Zealand’s resource management system is changing in stages. The Planning Act 2026 and Natural Environment Act 2026 received Royal assent on 30 September 2026, establishing the framework for the new system.

The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) will continue to govern most everyday consenting and enforcement during the transition. However, targeted amendments take effect on 30 October 2026, changing how relevant resource consent applications are assessed.

This article explains two key changes for applicants: additional procedural principles and limits on the matters councils can consider. It also outlines what property owners and developers should check before lodging an application.

This is the first article in our series on RMA reform. A further article will explain application timing, existing consents and the wider transition programme.

Amendments that take effect from 30 October 2026

Two changes are particularly relevant to resource consent applicants: additional procedural principles and limits on the matters councils can consider.

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Additional procedural principles

New section 18B places greater emphasis on clear documents, proportionate information requirements and practical decision-making during the transition. For applicants, this reinforces the value of a focused application that explains the proposal clearly and provides the information needed to assess its effects.

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Matters councils must disregard

For relevant district land use applications and notices of requirement, councils must disregard specified matters that are outside the scope of the transitional assessment. Subject to the qualifications in the Act, these include:

• negative effects on trade competition and retail distribution
• a project’s lack of demand or financial viability
• the type of residents a development would house
• views from private property
• specified aspects of residential design, including glazing area, balconies, outdoor living space, internal layout, unit size and landscaped area.

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The residential-design exclusions do not apply where the matters concern the protection of historic heritage. The exclusion for landscaped area also does not apply in relation to permeability.

These exclusions will also affect related steps in the consenting process, including notification decisions, requests for further information, the gateway test for non-complying activities, the imposition of consent conditions, and the information required with an application.

For a district land use proposal that breaches only rules relating to these excluded effects, the legislation provides a process to seek a deemed permitted activity notice. Consent authorities will also be able to disregard relevant provisions in RMA planning documents. District councils will have an optional, simpler process for removing provisions that address the specified excluded matters.

The scope matters here: these changes do not mean that every design, amenity or environmental effect becomes irrelevant to every application.

Other changes that have immediate effect on 30 October include the public-notification special circumstances test and some Medium Density Residential Standards. [Official summary of RMA changes here]

What should property owners and developers do now?

RMA reform makes early planning advice valuable, particularly where a project involves multiple approvals, expiring consents or a proposed change in land use.

Before lodging a resource consent application:

1. Confirm the approvals your project needs. Identify the relevant district and regional consent requirements.

2. Check the transitional rules. Establish which amendments apply to your application and decision process.

3. Review any out-of-scope matters. Keep the assessment focused on effects the council can legally consider.

4. Record key dates. Keep clear records of lodgement dates, consent expiry dates and project milestones.

5. Monitor emerging plans and standards. Identify changes that could affect your site, infrastructure requirements or development options.

The right approach will depend on your project, location and existing approvals.

We’ll keep publishing information about the RMA reform as we work through the transition period.

Talk to Inovo about resource consent applications and the RMA reform

If you have questions about the reforms or would like to understand how future spatial planning processes may affect your property, get in touch with Inovo's planning team. We can assist you to identify opportunities and constraints and prepare submissions where appropriate. We will continue to monitor the reform programme as it evolves.  

Prepared by Clara Casaes, Resource Management Planner, and Jono Begg, Resource Management Planning Team Manager. Published on 17 October 2026.

This article contains general information and opinion based on our expertise. It is provided free of charge and does not constitute legal advice.

Have you got further questions about this topic or our other services? Our full planning team is always happy to help – drop us an email planning@inovo.nz, or phone us on 020 4000 0294.

Cover Photo: Unsplash | Sulthan Auliyaa

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One of the most common questions we're asked is "how long will my consent take?" The honest answer is that it depends, but the law sets clear limits on how long a council can take, and knowing how those limits work helps you plan your project, your finance and your build programme with confidence.

The statutory timeframes

Under the Resource Management Act, councils must process and decide applications within set timeframes, measured in working days:

• Non-notified applications: 20 working days, or 50 working days if a hearing is held
• Limited notified applications: up to 100 working days where a hearing is held
• Publicly notified applications: up to 130 working days where a hearing is held, roughly six months

Most residential and small-scale applications are non-notified, so the 20 working day timeframe is the one most people will deal with.

Why "20 days" is rarely 20 days

Working days aren't calendar days, and several things affect the count:

• Weekends and public holidays don't count
• The Christmas shutdown: the period from 20 December to 10 January is excluded, so applications lodged in late November or December often take noticeably longer in calendar terms
• Further information requests (s92): if the council asks for more information, the clock can be paused until it's provided
• Time extensions (s37): councils can extend timeframes in some circumstances, for example where an application is complex or the applicant agrees

Put these together and an application that's "20 working days" can easily run to six or eight weeks or more on the calendar.

Our free consent timeframe calculator

To take the guesswork out of it, we've made a free online calculator available at calculator.inovo.nz. Enter your lodgement date, any periods where the clock was paused, any s37 extensions and your decision date (actual or expected). It will give you an accurate working day count and show where your application sits against the statutory timeframe.

It's useful at the start of a project for programming, and part way through to check whether a council is on track.

A note on the RMA reforms

The resource management system is changing. A transition period begins on 30 October 2026, and some processes will change as the new legislation comes into effect. Keep an eye out for updates through our web articles.

Need help?

The calculator is a guide, not a substitute for project-specific advice. If you're planning a development, or your consent is taking longer than expected, get in touch with Inovo's planning team. We can help you plan realistic timeframes, put together a complete application that avoids information requests, and keep things moving with council.

Try our calculator

Here's our earlier article on Resource Consent Timeframes and Fee Discounts

And somee other topics that might be interesting to you:

What Can You Build On Your property in Auckland? Understanding the Unitary Plan

National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards

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Disclaimer

This article contains general information and opinion based on our expertise. It is provided free of charge and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. The information within it was up to date at the time of publishing.

Have you got further questions about this topic or our other services?

We are always happy to help – drop us an email planning@inovo.nz, or phone us on 020 4000 0294.