Full Breakdown
Government Scraps Existing Iwi Participation Agreements as RMA Reform Nears Final Passage
7/20/2026, 6:13:50 AM
Decision to End Mana Whakahono a Rohe Deals
The National-led government announced that all current Mana Whakahono a Rohe agreements—formal arrangements between local councils and iwi that outline iwi input into planning—will be terminated under the forthcoming replacement of the Resource Management Act (RMA). Minister for the RMA reform Chris Bishop said councils will “have the option of entering into new narrowly scoped iwi participation agreements to record how iwi authorities will participate in statutory planning processes and processes required to give effect to Treaty settlement redress”. He added that “clear guardrails will be included in the legislation to prevent scope creep”. The move follows a surge in newly negotiated deals, with the Ministry for the Environment listing 14 in negotiation since early 2024 and more than twenty overall.
Reform Package and Projected Gains
The reform package replaces the RMA with a Planning Bill and a Natural Environment Bill. Bishop projected that the new system will “boost GDP by an additional 0.56 % every year by 2050, worth up to $3.1 billion annually” and that a cost-benefit analysis foresees “$13.3 billion in savings over 30 years through reduced administrative and compliance costs”. He estimated that “around 45 % of consent and permit applications … could be removed … representing between 15,000 and 22,000 consents no longer needed”. The transition timeline has been extended to 39 months to allow “more time to prepare the first tranche of national instruments and support a smoother transition”.
Official Government Statements
Bishop affirmed that the legislation will pass the House despite limited parliamentary time. Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court highlighted “restoration of controlled activity classes to give farmers and other primary producers more certainty, and simplify wildlife approvals to cut unnecessary bureaucracy”. He also noted that the reforms aim to balance “environmental, social and economic outcomes” while removing the RMA’s emissions-reduction provisions, arguing that the Climate Change Response Act and the Emissions Trading Scheme remain the appropriate tools.
Opposition and Criticism
The Green Party’s environment spokeswoman Lan Pham warned that the bills usher in a “race to the bottom” for environmental protection, claiming the government is “stripping away environmental protections while New Zealanders are left paying for the costs of environmental damage”. Citing a government-commissioned report, Pham said the regulatory relief measures would cost ratepayers $2 billion and that “almost all submitters opposed the regulatory relief framework”.
Verbatim Quotes
- “boost GDP [gross domestic product] by an additional 0.56% every year by 2050, worth up to $3.1 billion annually” — Chris Bishop, Minister for RMA Reform
- “A cost benefit analysis estimates $13.3 billion in savings over 30 years through reduced administrative and compliance costs,” — Chris Bishop
- “the Luxon Government is stripping away environmental protections while New Zealanders are left paying for the costs of environmental damage and the Government’s regulatory relief framework” — Lan Pham, Green Party environment spokeswoman
- “It has been estimated to cost ratepayers $2 billion, while the report writers themselves cautioned there is a high degree of uncertainty around those estimated.” — Lan Pham, Green Party environment spokeswoman
