Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill
This bill changes how New Zealand manages freshwater and natural areas. It pauses some rules that required councils to map and protect significant natural areas for three years. It limits how the main freshwater rules apply to resource consent applications. It removes freshwater farm plan requirements in areas where they had been rolled out. It also simplifies the process the government uses to create or change national environmental rules, making it faster and less complex.
What this affects
Tap a topic to see how this bill touches it — with the parts of the text it’s based on.
The bill pauses rules that required councils to find and protect significant areas of native plants and animals for three years.
The following provisions of the NPSIB 2023 do not apply during the 3-year period: (a) clause 2.2, Policy 6 ... (b) clause 3.8(1), (6), and (8) (which requires a territorial authority to conduct assessments to identify areas of significant indigenous vegetation and significant habitats of indigenous fauna that qualify as NPSIB SNAs)
This section does not affect— (a) any function or requirement under other provisions of this Act relating to indigenous biological diversity, areas of significant indigenous vegetation, or areas of significant habitats of indigenous fauna
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
Submissions open once a bill reaches the select committee stage. In the meantime, you can write to your local MP about it.
Write to your MPBill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.