RMA reforms are welcomed by farmers in Northland but could go further, they say. Photo / NZME
RMA reforms are welcomed by farmers in Northland but could go further, they say. Photo / NZME
As the Government seeks feedback on major changes to the Resource Management Act, Northland stakeholders are responding with cautious support, concerns over consultation and calls for deeper reform.
The proposed updates to the act’s national direction – the underlying rules and policies of the Resource Management Act (RMA) that informhow councils develop and implement local plans and rules – are an interim step ahead of the Government’s plan to completely replace the act and replace it with two new ones by 2027: a Planning Act and a Natural Environment Act.
Minister Chris Bishop said these interim changes are urgent: “Kiwis are not willing to wait for full replacement ... Our country is desperate for growth right now.”
The Government is hoping to replace 12 standards and rules that form the current national direction of the act with 16 new or updated ones.
The proposed reforms are grouped into three packs aimed at streamlining planning and consents for infrastructure, the primary sector and freshwater.
Among the long list of proposed changes the Government promises are an overhaul of zoning rules, an end to councils’ tight control of development, allowing commercial vegetable growers to grow food within a catchment without having to get resource consent, clarifying what a wetland is, enabling more papakāinga housing (communal Māori land) and clarifying consent pathways for mining and quarrying.
The public has until July 27 to make submissions.
Federated Farmers supportive but want more
Northland Federated Farmers agrees reforms are urgently needed but is urging the Government to go further – particularly in how it treats everyday farming operations.
Federated Farmers welcomes the proposals as “comprehensive” and “pragmatic” but argues the current system is “broken and costly” – particularly for farmers who face high compliance costs for routine activities.
Federated Farmers Northland president Colin Hannah said the need for resource consents in standard farming should be replaced with the use of existing farm plans.
“Resource consents should be reserved for complex or unusual developments, not standard farming operations.”
Hannah highlighted water storage as a key opportunity under the reforms, especially in drought-prone areas like Northland.
Federated Farmers Northland president Colin Hannah. Photo / Denise Piper
“We can grow anything up here if we have access to water,” he said, pointing to the Kaikohe water storage scheme as a model for future projects.
Hannah said farming in Northland has become increasingly difficult, with significant reductions in dairy and beef operations already evident.
“Farming in Northland is in some people’s minds becoming almost impossible and we’ve seen that with the move out of dairy – over 20% – and beef, 19%."
Hannah said the final numbers for dairy and beef ending this month may show a 24% reduction since 2017.
Federated Farmers planed to make a formal submission urging the Government to ensure reforms are practical, reduce unnecessary burdens and are locally driven.
“In Northland, we have to drive the direction ourselves – no one in Wellington is going to look after us,” Hannah said.
Te Rarawa: Reforms undermine Māori voice and rights
Te Rarawa Tumu Whakarae/chief executive George Riley expressed deep concern about the lack of meaningful consultation with iwi and hapū in Tai Tokerau.
“With so many changes coming from Wellington, no iwi or hapū has the capacity to respond – let alone have face-to-face meetings – to develop an agreed position,” he said.
Riley criticised the Government’s reliance on online wānanga (forums), saying they are oversubscribed and inaccessible to many.
He warned the proposed streamlining of infrastructure and development processes risked silencing community voices and undermining kaitiakitanga (guardianship).
Te Rarawa Tumu Whakarae/chief executive George Riley. Photo / NZME
“Any reduction in community voice to support faster decisions will allow less time for consideration, negotiation or understanding of impacts,” Riley said.
He questioned the reforms’ alignment with Te Tiriti o Waitangi, saying the discussion documents focused narrowly on settlement rights and were silent on broader customary rights.
“The devil is not in the detail – it’s that there is no detail,” Riley said.
He called for a clear legislative clause recognising Te Tiriti and He Whakaputanga, or at least the generally accepted Treaty principles.
Te Rarawa planned to make a formal submission.
“The principles underpinning the RMA are actually working very well,” Riley said. “The cost of consents can be high, but that’s part of ensuring projects are well planned and environmentally responsible.”
Vegetable growers: Support for permitted activity status
Northland kūmara grower and Northern Wairoa Vegetable Growers Association secretary Warwick Simpson welcomed proposed changes that would allow commercial vegetable growing in Northland to continue as a permitted activity within catchments.
“This is a nice change from the expected requirements for resource consent under previous legislation,” he said.
Simpson noted that while freshwater farm plans may be required, this is a more practical and less burdensome alternative to full consents.
He emphasised commercial vegetable production has a small environmental footprint relative to its food value and supports clear national standards to avoid inconsistent local rules.
While the association itself has not been directly consulted, it was represented through national bodies like Horticulture New Zealand and Vegetables New Zealand, which are preparing submissions on the growers’ behalf.
Forest & Bird concerned about environmental rollbacks
Forest & Bird expressed strong concerns about the proposed changes weakening protections for freshwater, wetlands, coastal areas and natural habitats.
The organisation warned that aligning freshwater rules with infrastructure needs risked treating nature as expendable, despite its critical role in climate resilience and public health.
“We need robust environmental bottom lines to protect the health of waterways and people,” it said.
“Lower standards may deliver benefits for some firms, but the economy as a whole will pay a cost through more pollution, poorer public health and other economic impacts.”
Forest & Bird criticised the Government’s consultation process, describing it as the least engaged in a generation and claiming community voices were being ignored.
It drew comparisons to the previous Fast Track legislation, which it says overrode existing laws, stripped away environmental protections and named favoured projects in law.
Kaipara District Council was currently focused on its own District Plan and had only briefly reviewed the reform packages.
Whangārei District Council said it was too early to comment.
Northland Regional Council was assessing the implications, particularly for natural hazards and renewable energy, and acknowledges that some changes may reduce costs and delays.
However, none of the councils have confirmed whether they will make a formal submission and there are no current plans for wider community engagement.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
