CORANZ Members Should Engage Now
Post by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ
Two major pieces of legislation - the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill - are before Parliament and are intended to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA). Both Bills have passed their first readings and are now being considered by the Environment Select Committee.
Public submissions are open now, and they close in mid-February.
This is a limited window to influence legislation that will reshape environmental management and planning in New Zealand for decades.
Before CORANZ decides whether, and how, to make a formal submission, we want to inform members, explain the big issues, and invite input.
What’s changing - at a glance
The two Bills work together:
- The Planning Bill sets out how land use and spatial planning will operate, including how plans are prepared and implemented.
- The Natural Environment Bill establishes how natural resources and environmental limits are set, managed, and enforced.
Together, they replace the RMA’s framework with a new system that aims to be more consistent and nationally directed. Whether that results in stronger environmental outcomes or weaker, more discretionary ones will depend heavily on the detail - and on what is raised at the Select Committee stage.
Why this matters to CORANZ members
CORANZ is not solely focused on access. Our member organisations engage across freshwater health, environmental protection, planning systems, and governance standards.
From that perspective, several big-picture issues deserve close attention:
- How environmental bottom lines are defined - and whether they are firm limits or flexible targets.
- How discretion is used by councils and regulators, particularly where enforcement has been inconsistent.
- How planning decisions are made and whether cumulative effects are properly accounted for.
- How accountability works when outcomes fall short of stated environmental objectives.
Recent experience shows that law on paper and outcomes on the ground can diverge sharply. These Bills will either narrow or widen that gap.
Why timing matters
The Bills are already before the Select Committee. Once this stage closes, opportunities to influence the structure of the new system narrow significantly.
While CORANZ has not yet formed a position on these Bills, the submission timeframe means that any decision to engage must be informed quickly by member experience and evidence.
Members are encouraged to make their own submissions
CORANZ strongly encourages member organisations and individual members to consider making their own submissions to the Environment Select Committee.
Independent submissions:
- ensure Parliament hears directly from communities and practitioners,
- add weight and diversity to the issues raised,
- and do not need to be technical or legalistic.
Plain-language submissions based on practical experience are entirely appropriate and often influential.
Any CORANZ submission, should one be made, would be in addition to - not instead of - independent submissions by members.
Share your views with CORANZ
In parallel, CORANZ invites members to share input that may help inform whether and how we engage formally.
We are particularly interested in:
- experiences with planning or consent processes under the RMA,
- examples where discretion or non-enforcement affected outcomes,
- concerns about how environmental limits are set or applied,
- views on what must be retained or strengthened in the new system.
Please send comments, examples, or short position statements to:
To allow time to consider feedback before the Select Committee deadline in mid-February, early input is encouraged.
In summary
The replacement of the RMA is a once-in-a-generation reform. Silence now risks accepting whatever emerges later.
CORANZ’s role at this stage is to:
- inform,
- listen,
- and help members engage meaningfully - as organisations, communities, and voters.
We encourage members to make their own submissions and to share insights with CORANZ while there is still time to influence the direction of these reforms.