The Government is calling for feedback on proposals to change and inform development of national direction under the resource management system. Submissions are invited on proposals to update national direction for infrastructure, development and the primary sector and on options to amend freshwater national direction, and test how housing proposals could fit into the new resource management system.
Consultation for the first three packages ran from Thursday 29 May - Sunday 27 July. Consultation on package 4 will run from Wednesday 18 June until 11.59pm Sunday 17 August 2025
Feedback will help shape how the proposals are finalised. Once finalised, instruments in packages 1-3 will set resource management policy and rules for regional and local plans, policy statements and resource consent decisions.
Read the full public notice for Packages 1-3.
Read more on Package 4 (HUD website).
The Government aims to make it easier for councils to plan and deliver infrastructure by making four new national direction instruments and amending four existing national direction instruments.
The Government aims to enable growth in the primary sector by making changes to eight existing national direction instruments.
The proposals to prepare and amend national direction in Packages 1 and 2 are being consulted on under section 46A of the Resource Management Act. They are grouped for ease of reading and to help understand where instruments deal with similar matters.
The Government is seeking feedback on options to amend freshwater national direction to better reflect the interests of all water users, and on whether changes should be implemented under the existing RMA or under new resource management legislation.
Further consultation will be undertaken, later this year, through a more detailed exposure draft of the proposed freshwater national direction.
The Government is seeking feedback on how the proposals in the first pillar of the Going for Housing Growth programme could fit into the new resource management system.
Pillar 1 aims to free up land for development and remove unnecessary planning barriers.
This package is a joint consultation run by the Ministry for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Ministry for the Environment.
We hosted four online webinars on the proposals in packages 1, 2 and 3 and answered questions.
Watch the webinar for Package 1: Infrastructure and development (YouTube)
Slide pack for Package 1 (PDF, 1MB)
Watch the webinar for Package 2: Primary sector and Package 3: Freshwater (YouTube)
Start the webinar at the freshwater section (YouTube)
Slide pack for Package 2 and 3 (PDF, 1MB)
See responses to questions asked during webinars (PDF, 348KB)
National direction sets national resource management policy and rules which inform regional and local plans, policy statements and resource consent decisions. It includes national policy statements, national environmental standards, and section 360 regulations.
Read more on national direction.