Planning Together,
Building Together.

Strong planning laws rest on fairness, clarity, and equality before the law. These are once-in-a-generation reforms and we need to make sure the government gets it right. We're calling on New Zealanders to have their say to ensure a fair system is built.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Planning laws decide what you can do with your property, how your town grows, and how land is used in your community.

They affect whether farms stay productive, whether houses get built, whether infrastructure goes ahead, and how local environments are protected.

The Government is replacing the Resource Management Act with new planning laws that will shape these decisions for decades. It’s important that the rules are fair, clear, and apply equally to everyone.

As the new laws are currently drafted there are some significant problems around fairness and equality. We are making a submission calling for this to be changed and we have made it super easy for you to submit too.

What’s changing and why it is important for you to have your say

What the Bills do:

The Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill are intended to replace the Resource Management Act. Together, they aim to:

simplify planning processes
improve environmental protection
provide clearer national direction
enable housing and infrastructure development

They will set the framework for how planning decisions are made at national, regional, and local levels.

Why planning law matters to everyone

Planning law determines what can be built, where, and under what conditions. It affects:

housing supply and affordability
farming and rural land use
infrastructure and energy projects
environmental protection
property rights

Because planning decisions affect shared land and shared resources, the system must be trusted, transparent, and fair.

Where unequal treatment appears

As currently drafted, the Bills introduce participation rights, consultation requirements, and decision-making influence that depend on ancestry rather than citizenship.

These include:

prescriptive Treaty clauses
mandatory consultation with iwi authorities ahead of public engagement
preservation of co-governance arrangements from Treaty settlements
special planning pathways for Māori land

Taken together, these provisions risk creating a two-tier planning system.

Why equal citizenship matters in planning

A legitimate planning system must treat people equally before the law.

When access to decision-making depends on who you are rather than how you are affected, trust in the system erodes. Planning decisions should be based on environmental effects, community impact, and the public interest — not identity.

Equal citizenship strengthens democratic accountability and social cohesion.

What we are asking for

Most New Zealanders agree planning reform is needed, but it must uphold the principle that all New Zealanders are equal before the law.

We are asking Parliament to ensure the new planning system is based on:

Equal participation

Participation rights should be based on interest and impact, not ethnicity.

Democratic accountability

Participation rights should be based on interest and impact, not ethnicity.

Neutral land-use rules

Rules should apply consistently to all land and all citizens.

Clear, limited Treaty clauses

Treaty provisions must be clearly defined to avoid legal uncertainty and open-ended expansion through the courts.

These principles support unity, certainty, and long-term trust in public institutions.

Make a submission

Public submissions are a cornerstone of New Zealand’s democratic system. You do not need legal expertise to make one. In fact we have made it nice and easy for you!

Planning Together,Building Together.