The proposed changes promote unequal influence and a much weaker public voice
The government has introduced two bills designed to replace the RMA by separating land-use planning from natural resource management:
-
The Planning Bill establishes a framework for regulating the use, development, and enjoyment of land. Its goals include maintaining public access to coastal marine areas, lakes, and rivers— a welcome nod to shared natural heritage. However, it also explicitly prioritises iwi interests by mandating iwi involvement in the development of national policy instruments, spatial planning, and land-use plans. It also requires the identification and protection of sites of significance to Māori. These include not only wāhi tapu (sacred places), but also sites located on private land, in water bodies, and in marine and coastal areas.
- The Natural Environment Bill focuses on the use, protection, and enhancement of the natural environment. It mirrors the Planning Bill in its emphasis on Māori interests, requiring similar participation in national instruments and plans.
Democracy undermined: centralisation, reduced public participation, and unequal influence
On the surface, these reforms promise efficiency: clearer rules, less red tape, and faster development. But dig deeper, and the implications for democracy are troubling. The bills centralise power at the national and regional levels, shifting public input away from individual consents—where ordinary New Zealanders often engage—and toward large-scale planning. This "upstream" focus means decisions are locked in early, making it much harder for communities to challenge them later. As a result, local democratic decision-making will be weakened, with citizens likely to struggle to participate meaningfully in broad spatial plans that could constrain future choices.
More concerning is the asymmetry of influence. Iwi interests are statutorily protected:
- Mandatory iwi consultation before public notification of plans or national instruments.
- Stronger protections for sites of significance to Maori, which councils must identify and enforce through land-use controls. There is no provision for the equivalent scrutiny or appeal for affected landowners. Moreover, landowners may face restrictions based on cultural values that aren't independently verified and not always mapped.
- Integration of Treaty partnerships, including advisory boards or committees that provide privileged access to policy development not extended to other groups.
This creates a two-tier system, in which one group, based on their ancestry, has access to decision-making that other citizens lack.
The reforms move iwi involvement earlier in the process than is currently the case — into high-level strategic planning — rather than leaving it mainly for later, case-by-case resource consent decisions. While this may reduce the opportunity for Māori to influence or object to individual consents, it gives iwi groups a much stronger role in shaping the overall direction of planning at the national and regional level from the outset.
The government argues that this change provides greater certainty for everyone by clarifying Māori interests up front. Instead of case-by-case debates, Māori priorities will be addressed through national policy statements, national environmental standards, and other high-level directions.
Key features of the new approach include:
- Before any public notification, Councils will be required to consult iwi during the preparation of spatial plans, land-use plans, and natural environment plans, and to have regard to their advice. The same applies to national planning instruments. This gives iwi groups significant sway over plan content before the wider public sees it.
- Additionally, Councils must take into account Iwi Management Plans (iwi planning documents) and statutory acknowledgements and other Treaty-related instruments when developing these plans.
In short, the system trades some case-by-case input for stronger, earlier, and more systematic iwi influence over the big-picture planning framework.
Notably, existing and initiated Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements (iwi participation arrangements with councils), joint management arrangements, and transfers of power to iwi will be maintained. However, no new ones can be created under the new planning laws—unless they're specifically included in Treaty of Waitangi settlements. Co-governance and joint management arrangements that are already locked into Treaty settlements will remain unchanged and continue to give iwi ongoing (and sometimes additional) influence over planning and resource-consenting decisions.
While iwi are traditional tribal structures, today many have commercial arms and, in a growing number of cases, are multi-million-dollar corporate entities. The trustees of these entities have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of their iwi. Mandatory consultation with these entities provides them with a distinct advantage in shaping outcomes—allowing them to advance their own iwi-specific priorities ahead of, or over, the interests of the wider public.
To add insult to injury, public funds are routinely allocated to support iwi consultation, the development and implementation of iwi management plans, participation arrangements such as Mana Whakahono ā Rohe, and other related government/Maori engagement activities. This situation compounds the injustice: not only are other New Zealanders afforded lesser status in decision-making processes, but taxpayers—including ratepayers—also fund the very mechanisms that grant iwi groups this preferential access and influence.
Such arrangements undermine the principle of equal citizenship and fairness in how public funds are used to support democratic processes.
Our position: advocating for equality in resource management and planning
In a democracy, all citizens should have equal opportunities to influence decisions affecting their lives.
At Democracy Action, we believe that any planning reform must balance development needs with democratic values such as localism, transparency, and equality before the law. As drafted, these bills fall short by entrenching unequal influence while diluting public participation. They risk turning New Zealand's planning system into one that serves special interests at the expense of the common good, which is inconsistent with the expectation that all Kiwis have an equal say in their communities.
We urge the government to revise the bills to:
- Ensure all consultations are open and equal, without pre-notification advantages.
- Strengthen public engagement.
- Remove ethnicity-based privileges, focusing instead on inclusive mechanisms that respect the interests of everyone.
- Ensure sites of significance are not imposed on private property without the consent of the landowner.
- Avoid the imposition of sites of significance on publicly owned land, water bodies, or the coastal marine area if it restricts or limits how other New Zealanders can access, enjoy, or use those public spaces—unless supported by clear, robust, and verifiable evidence.
Submit today: Parliament submission page →
The closing date for submissions is 4.30pm on Friday, 13 February 2026.
Original, personal submissions carry far more weight than copied templates. You don’t need to be an expert. You don’t need to cover everything - a few sentences are enough. Say what you think, how this affects you, and make it clear whether you support or oppose it. Focus on what resonates most: equal treatment for all citizens, no pre-notification advantages for any group, stronger public participation, protection of property rights, and true democracy over exclusive privileges.
Click HERE to go to the Parliament submission-making page. Remember to tick the box if you wish to make an oral submission to the committee.
Tips on making a submission and further suggested points you could make:
Choose the points that matter most to you and write in your own words.
Start with who you are (1–2 sentences)
- I am a New Zealander /ratepayer/landowner/community member.
- I care about democratic decision-making, fairness, and transparency in planning laws.
Core democratic concerns you may wish to raise
Equal citizenship
- Planning and environment laws should treat all citizens equally.
- No citizen or group should have privileged access to decision-making processes unavailable to others.
Unequal influence in the new system
- Mandatory iwi consultation before public notification gives this group early and exclusive influence over plan content. This undermines fair public participation and the democratic principle of one person, one vote.
- All communities should have equal access to information at the same time.
Centralisation of power
- Shifting influence to high-level national and regional plans reduces meaningful public input. Broad spatial plans are harder for ordinary people to understand, access, and influence. This risks alienating communities from decisions that shape their environment, infrastructure, livelihoods, and daily lives.
Sites of Significance and property rights
- Sites of significance should not be imposed on private property without the consent of the landowner.
- Avoid the imposition of sites of significance on publicly owned land, water bodies, or the coastal marine area if it restricts or limits how other New Zealanders can access, enjoy, or use those public spaces—unless supported by clear, robust, and verifiable evidence.
Treaty obligations and democracy
- Treaty-based advisory bodies have ongoing access to power not available to other citizens. This creates a two-tier system of influence, inconsistent with democratic norms.
- Treaty obligations should be met in ways that respect equal democratic participation, not override it.
- Honouring settlements should not require permanent governance privileges.
What you want changed
-
Ensure environmental protection and development are balanced with core democratic principles.
-
Make planning laws neutral and inclusive, not based on ethnicity.
-
Uphold equal citizenship and equality before the law.
-
Remove pre-notification advantages and ensure consultation processes are open and equal for all.
-
Restore meaningful local authority and community participation in planning decisions.
Conclusion
A planning system must work for everyone who lives, works, and pays rates in New Zealand. The Government should amend these bills to protect democratic principles, equal citizenship, and equality before the law.
Need further help in drafting a submission?
Hobson’s Pledge have commissioned a dedicated website with further information and support for writing submissions. See: http://fairplanning.nz
References
Overview: Better planning for a better New Zealand | Ministry for the Environment
NZ Treasury: Investing With Iwi – The Māori Economy - Presentation: Hon Tama Potaka