Understanding Plan Stop
The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Act 2025 brought in changes to pause councils’ work on review and change of their RMA plans.
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The intention is to ensure that local authorities do not expend resources unnecessarily by stopping parts of the plan-making process between the time when the Act comes into force and when legislation to replace the RMA comes into force.
The policy affects:
- proposed plans and policy statements
- changes to plans and policy statements
- any variations of those.
The policy also pauses mandatory and discretionary directions regarding national planning standards and pauses the need for local authorities to review plans and policy statements. Some areas of work can continue through an automatic exemptions process, while others may be possible, but councils will need to apply for an exemption.
This policy does not affect private plan changes accepted by a council, which will proceed to notification under clause 26 of schedule 1 of the RMA.
As of 21 August 2025, no new draft planning instruments may be notified unless an exemption applies.
What Plan Stop does not apply to
Plan Stop does not apply to:
- council policy documents not made under the RMA, such as Future Development Strategies adopted as part of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development requirements for tier 1 and 2 local authorities
- situations where a council has already notified a whole plan review, has split it up into topics for hearing, and at least one of those topics has been heard. This will help ensure that decisions on the whole plan review can remain comprehensive
- structure plans which have not been implemented as notified plan changes. However, the Plan Stop will prevent councils from notifying any new plan changes which support their spatial plan, unless an exemption applies. Local authorities could consider whether streamlined planning process is appropriate for such plan changes.
This webinar was held on 25 August 2025.
Flowchart explaining the Plan Stop process for proposed planning instruments which have not been notified.
Would the DPI normally be notified under clause 5 or 5A of Schedule 1?
If the DPI would not be notified, Plan Stop does not apply.
If the DPI would be notified, do any of the automatic exemption criteria apply?
If automatic exemption criteria apply, continue to notification hearings and decisions.
If automatic exemption criteria do not apply, do any of the application criteria apply?
If application do not criteria apply, do not notify.
If application criteria apply, lodge an application with MfE.
If MFE grant the application, continue to notifications, hearings and decisions.
If MFE do not grant the applicant, do not notify.
Flowchart explaining the Plan Stop process for proposed planning instruments which have not been notified.
Would the DPI normally be notified under clause 5 or 5A of Schedule 1?
If the DPI would not be notified, Plan Stop does not apply.
If the DPI would be notified, do any of the automatic exemption criteria apply?
If automatic exemption criteria apply, continue to notification hearings and decisions.
If automatic exemption criteria do not apply, do any of the application criteria apply?
If application do not criteria apply, do not notify.
If application criteria apply, lodge an application with MfE.
If MFE grant the application, continue to notifications, hearings and decisions.
If MFE do not grant the applicant, do not notify.
Councils can self-determine if their draft or proposed planning instrument meets the requirements for an automatic exemption. The automatic exemption criteria capture the following planning instruments:
- a proposed planning instrument or a draft planning instrument using the Streamlined Planning Process
- a proposed planning instrument or a draft planning instrument using the Intensification Planning Process
- a draft planning instrument that implements the requirements of a national policy statement published after this subpart commences, if the national policy statement requires that it be implemented before 31 December 2027, and wholly or in part by a draft planning instrument
- a proposed planning instrument or draft planning instrument which relates to natural hazards
- a proposed planning instrument or draft planning instrument directed, or called in by, the minister
- a proposed planning instrument or draft planning instrument used to vary or change the to the Kermadec and Subantarctic Islands regional plan
- a proposed planning instrument or draft planning instrument that gives effect to any obligation in or under a Treaty of Waitangi settlement or deed, the Ngā Rohe Moana o Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Porou Act 2019 and the Marine and Coastal (Takutai Moana) Act 2011.
For the avoidance of doubt, changes that are not automatically exempt include:
- rolling plan reviews where the review has been notified in parts, as only those parts which have been heard can continue. Those parts which were notified separately, and which have not been heard yet, must be withdrawn (unless exemptions apply),
- the process for including ‘documents incorporated by reference’ as that process requires a plan change (see clauses 30 to 35 of Schedule 1 of the RMA).
Councils may seek an exemption to the Plan Stop from the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform
Where proposed plans or parts of proposed plans do not meet the automatic exemption criteria above, councils can apply to the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform for an exemption. The draft or proposed planning instrument must meet one or more of these criteria:
- better enable the local authority to provide, operate or maintain municipal drinking water, stormwater or wastewater in accordance with the Water Services Act 2021
- rectify any provisions in a plan or policy statement that have had unintended consequences, are unworkable, or have led to inefficient outcomes
- respond to changes made to the RMA
- better enable climate change to be managed
- support the transition of high-risk land so as to better manage the risk of erosion
- better enable any relevant Treaty of Waitangi settlement Act or deed of settlement, and the Crown’s obligations under that settlement, to be upheld
- enable a response to be made to a recommendation from the Environment Court
- enable work to be progressed that, for any other reason, the minister considers appropriate.
Applications for an exemption to the Plan Stop can be submitted until 31 December 2027.
For queries related to the Plan Stop, or to arrange a meeting to discuss a potential exemption application, please contact plan.exemptions@mfe.govt.nz.
Flowchart explaining the process a local authority follows to apply for a Plan Stop exemption.
Step 1: The local authority determines to apply for an exemption. MfE staff are available to meet with any councils considering this option, and an application form will be made available. The form contains detail on the type of information we are seeking in order to provide advice to the minister. The exemption must be applied for within 90 working days of enactment.
Optional intermediate step: The local authority contacts the Ministry to test the potential plan change exemption with the minister.
Step 2: The local authority submits the exemption application form to plan.exemptions@mfe.govt.nz. MfE staff will be in touch to confirm receipt of the application.
Step 3: MfE assesses the completeness of the application. MfE staff will assess if we have enough information to provide the minister with advice to make a decision on the exemption request. If there is sufficient information, we will proceed to drafting advice for the minister.
Step 3A: If the application is incomplete, MfE sends a further information request to the local authority within 10 days of receiving the application.
Step 4: If the application is complete, MfE provides advice to the minister for making a decision on the exemption request. This advice will note, if applicable, where advice is based on incomplete information.
Step 5: The Minister considers the request and reaches a decision.
Step 6A: If the exemption request meets the exemption criteria, the application is accepted. A full or partial exemption is granted.
Step 7A: The local authority can continue the planning process (ie, they can proceed to schedule hearings, if the proposed planning instrument was notified at the time of enactment, or proceed to notification).
Step 6B: If the exemption request does not meet the exemption criteria, the application is declined. The local authority must, within 10 working days after receiving the minister’s decision, withdraw the proposed planning instrument in full or in part as per s80X.
Step 7B: The local authority must give public notice of withdrawal of all or part of its proposed planning instrument, as per section 80R (if the planning instrument was notified at the time of enactment). The planning instrument cannot be notified.
Flowchart explaining the process a local authority follows to apply for a Plan Stop exemption.
Step 1: The local authority determines to apply for an exemption. MfE staff are available to meet with any councils considering this option, and an application form will be made available. The form contains detail on the type of information we are seeking in order to provide advice to the minister. The exemption must be applied for within 90 working days of enactment.
Optional intermediate step: The local authority contacts the Ministry to test the potential plan change exemption with the minister.
Step 2: The local authority submits the exemption application form to plan.exemptions@mfe.govt.nz. MfE staff will be in touch to confirm receipt of the application.
Step 3: MfE assesses the completeness of the application. MfE staff will assess if we have enough information to provide the minister with advice to make a decision on the exemption request. If there is sufficient information, we will proceed to drafting advice for the minister.
Step 3A: If the application is incomplete, MfE sends a further information request to the local authority within 10 days of receiving the application.
Step 4: If the application is complete, MfE provides advice to the minister for making a decision on the exemption request. This advice will note, if applicable, where advice is based on incomplete information.
Step 5: The Minister considers the request and reaches a decision.
Step 6A: If the exemption request meets the exemption criteria, the application is accepted. A full or partial exemption is granted.
Step 7A: The local authority can continue the planning process (ie, they can proceed to schedule hearings, if the proposed planning instrument was notified at the time of enactment, or proceed to notification).
Step 6B: If the exemption request does not meet the exemption criteria, the application is declined. The local authority must, within 10 working days after receiving the minister’s decision, withdraw the proposed planning instrument in full or in part as per s80X.
Step 7B: The local authority must give public notice of withdrawal of all or part of its proposed planning instrument, as per section 80R (if the planning instrument was notified at the time of enactment). The planning instrument cannot be notified.
An application form has been prepared for councils to use when applying for an exemption. See Plan Stop exemption Application template.
The application process is intended to provide enough information for the minister to make a decision without a significant additional amount of work being put on councils. While we have tried to capture all relevant information requirements in the application form, the minister can request further information to support an application. As a result, the local authority may amend or replace the application.
Once an application has been received, the Ministry for the Environment will prepare advice to support the minister to make a decision on the application.
Councils will be advised by letter of the minister's decision as soon as possible.
- Designations
- For processes associated with designations, councils may consider using plan-making processes that do not get notified under clause 5 or 5A of Schedule 1 and are therefore unaffected by Plan Stop (see sections 175 and 182 of the RMA).
- Minor corrections
- There are exemption criteria to provide for plan changes which rectify any provisions in a plan or policy statement that have had unintended consequences, are unworkable, or have led to inefficient outcomes. The exemption criteria also provide for plan changes to respond to a recommendation from the Environment Court. This allows councils to:
- correct errors or issues identified through the hearing process where there was no scope to make changes
- correct errors or issues identified once the plan is actively used by the public and council staff
- undertake plan changes as recommended by the hearing panel or through court direction to respond to community concerns raised through hearings and avoid legal costs.
- There are exemption criteria to provide for plan changes which rectify any provisions in a plan or policy statement that have had unintended consequences, are unworkable, or have led to inefficient outcomes. The exemption criteria also provide for plan changes to respond to a recommendation from the Environment Court. This allows councils to:
- Joint plan changes
- Any private plan change which has been adopted by a council will be affected by Plan Stop, so must be withdrawn or not notified, unless an exemption applies.
- Freshwater planning instruments
- Freshwater planning instruments which give effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 are exempt from Plan Stop as they are already on pause, with their own exemption pathway under clause 42 of Schedule 12 of the RMA.