It’s official - Minister for the Environment David Parker confirmed yesterday that the
Resource Management Act (RMA) will be repealed and replaced with three new laws during the current parliamentary term. The three new Acts will be:
Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA) – the main replacement for the RMA, which will cover land use and environmental regulation
Strategic Planning Act (SPA) – to enable integration with other legislation relevant to development as well as requiring long-term regional spatial strategies
Climate Change Adaptation Act (CAA) – to support New Zealand’s response to climate change
Minister Parker has stated that “The new laws will improve the natural environment, enable more development within environmental limits, provide an effective role for Māori, and improve housing supply and affordability.” There is a clear focus on housing problems. The Cabinet Paper states that New Zealand’s housing is now amongst the least affordable in the OECD.