Farmers back Government pause on RMA plan changes

Federated Farmers and Beef+Lamb NZ have both praised the Government's action, saying it will give greater clarity to farmers.

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says much of the planning changes that local authorities were about to start work on would not be completed or implemented by the time the new RMA changes would be made in the next couple of years.

"So rather than let these pricey, pointless planning and policy processes play out, the Government will be giving councils clarity on where to focus their efforts while they await the new planning system," he says.

Under the Government's new directive, only plans that have reached the 'hearing stage' can proceed, but the notification of any new changes is now prohibited. There is a provision for a local authority to appeal to go ahead with a plan change in exceptional circumstances, mainly around natural hazards.

But Bishop says he wants to make it clear that stopping plan changes does not mean stopping progress on work that supports the Government's priorities in areas like housing, intensification and urban development.

B+LNZ chair Kate Acland says the announcement provides farmers with further clarity over the coming months. She says they have repeatedly raised concerns about rules coming out of regional planning processes, with significant implications for farmers.

She says last year the Government restricted regional councils from notifying any freshwater planning instruments before 31 December 2025, but that date was looming before any new rules were in place.

“Without a further delay, councils would have restarted their processes based on the current rules. It’s therefore positive to see this deadline pushed out further, as it is something we’d been asking for,” she says.

Federated Farmers RMA reform spokesperson Mark Hooper says councils across New Zealand have been continuing to push ahead with new district plans that put farms under restrictive overlays, such as Outstanding Natural Landscapes and Significant Natural Areas.

He says this is despite the fact that any plan changes may only have a shelf life of months, given the Government intends to pass a new Resource Management Act next year.

“It’s a huge waste of time – and ratepayers’ money.”

Hooper says work on these new rules is pointless when the current RMA will be scrapped within 12 months and all the councils are doing is creating angst and confusion, and wasting bucketloads of ratepayer money.