The Government is investing through Budget 2026 in the roll-out of the new planning and environmental management system, focused on the digital and data foundations and national instruments that will be critical to its success.
The investment supports a simpler, faster and more consistent planning system, making it easier to get things done, while protecting what matters most.
It will fund the national instruments, standards and data, and digital foundations needed for a simpler and more consistent planning system to support housing, infrastructure and economic growth, while protecting the environment.
Alongside the new Planning and Natural Environment Bills, which are progressing through Parliament, this work is being developed as part of a single integrated system.
The Budget 2026 investment focuses on establishing shared digital tools, consistent data standards, and core national datasets – including tools such as the New Zealand Flood Map.
This is intended to make planning information easier to access and use, support more consistent decision-making, and reduce duplication across regions.
At the moment, planning information is spread across different systems and is often difficult to use in a consistent way. This contributes to delays, uncertainty and variation in how decisions are made.
The digital and data foundations are designed to:
This is the first stage of investment, in a phased digital and data roll out with further decisions to be considered through future Budgets following a detailed business case.
The current system relies on fragmented and inconsistent rules, data, IT systems, and ways of working. This makes it hard to know what’s allowed, where – leading to confusion, delays and inconsistent decisions.
This investment will produce more consistent rules and data, improving decision making and boosting investor confidence. It will also lay the foundations for a new digital system for all councils to use, reducing duplication, improving innovation, and enabling better nationwide data to support planning and system performance.
With clearer rules, stronger national standards, and consistent data:
Consenting and planning processes will become faster, more standardised and more cost-effective.
This investment will help deliver more homes, enable infrastructure to keep up with growth, and support long-term economic outcomes.
Budget 2026 marks a shift towards building these core capabilities once at a national level, unlocking the full benefits of a simpler, faster, more consistent planning system.
Successful implementation of the new planning system is expected to:
Budget 2026 invests in practical tools that improve the quality of planning decisions.
Continued investment in the New Zealand Flood Map will provide a single, trusted picture of flood risk.
The digital programme will be delivered in phases:
All formal procurement and market engagement will be managed through GETS.
To ensure fairness and procurement integrity, no proposals, pricing or capability submissions can be accepted outside that process.
Further programme scope, sequencing, and delivery approaches will continue to be refined through detailed business case development and future Budget processes.
If suppliers have any further queries, please email: digital.planning@mfe.govt.nz
The Government is committed to delivering a single, consistent digital system to underpin the new planning system.
Work is underway on a detailed business case, and the Ministry will continue working with councils, practitioners, and other system users. Local government will play an important role in shaping design and implementation.
Until final system details are confirmed, local government should pause investment in new IT systems solely to support the new planning system. Waiting for certainty will help maximise the value of shared digital investment for taxpayers and ratepayers and support economic growth.