The government has released two new bills covering land use planning and the natural environment to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA). They aim to lower the transaction costs of planning and ease constraints on land available for development, with lighter-touch regulation and a focus on controlling externalities. The RMA had similar aims but, over 35 years of operation, became a frequent subject of complaint.
In this Insight, we explore what history suggests also needs changing to make the new laws successful.