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The coalition’s biggest overhaul of how New Zealand manages land, housing and the environment. It scraps the Resource Management Act 1991, long criticised across the political spectrum as slow and costly, and replaces it with two new laws. (The government first repealed the previous Labour government’s own RMA replacement in 2023, then set about writing its own.)
Its journey through Parliament
How New Zealand manages housing growth and the environment, a core election issue, and one of the biggest reforms of the term.
The two replacement bills are before the select committee, with submissions open into February 2026, so the public debate is still under way. Supporters want a faster, cheaper and more consistent system; critics worry that setting limits up front and speeding development could weaken environmental protections and public input.
National-led government; Minister for RMA Reform Chris Bishop.
In progress. The two replacement bills are at the select committee stage; the new system is intended to be fully operational by 2029. Until then, the RMA still applies.
“Replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA)” is how this is talked about; Parliament is moving 3 separately-titled bills to do it. Here they are, with where each has got to.
Neutral summary, January 2026 knowledge cut-off, confirm any later changes at the official source. Politika does not take a side.
