Granny flats and papakāinga at the heart of new proposals to ease housing pressures
The government is proposing a sweeping overhaul of housing-related planning rules under the Resource Management Act (RMA) to accelerate residential development, including easier approval pathways for granny flats and papakāinga.
Ministers Chris Bishop and Tama Potaka (pictured left to right) unveiled plans to amend 12 current instruments and introduce four new national direction tools – focused on infrastructure, the primary sector, and freshwater.
The policy comes amid signs of a stabilising housing market. According to Cotality NZ, sales volumes have rebounded from mid-2023 lows and prices rose 0.3% in April – though elevated listings mean “buyers retain a lot of the pricing power for now.”
RMA a ‘broken’ barrier to growth, says Bishop
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said the current system is a major obstacle to progress in housing, infrastructure, and energy development.
“The RMA is broken, and it’s a big part of the reason for many of New Zealand’s biggest problems with infrastructure, housing and energy,” Bishop said.
“Addressing this is critical to boosting economic growth, improving living standards and meeting future challenges posed by natural hazards and climate change.”
He said the government had already repealed the previous government’s RMA reforms, passed the Fast-track Approvals Act, and plans to replace the RMA entirely in 2026 with a system grounded in property rights.
National direction on granny flats
As part of the new National Environmental Standards (NES) for Granny Flats, homeowners would be able to build secondary dwellings without needing resource consent in certain zones.
“We want to make it easier for families to build a granny flat of up to 70 square metres on an existing property… in rural, residential, mixed use, and Māori purpose zones without the need to gain a resource consent subject to certain conditions,” Bishop said.
The proposed standards would align with planned amendments to the Building Act, which will remove the need for building consent for eligible granny flats – further speeding up development.
Potaka: Papakāinga reforms will empower Māori landowners
Potaka said the new NES for Papakāinga aims to remove bureaucratic and inconsistent planning rules preventing Māori from developing ancestral land.
“Existing resource management rules are a barrier for Māori to build papakāinga housing on ancestral land,” he said.
“Our proposed new National Environmental Standard for Papakāinga would allow papakāinga on some rural land, residential zones, and Māori purpose zones, subject to certain conditions.”
Potaka added that the policy would allow developments of up to 10 homes without needing resource consent, offering greater autonomy and faster paths to affordable housing.
Unlocking whenua for Māori housing
Potaka stressed the broader economic, social and cultural value of enabling Māori to develop papakāinga.
“Currently, inconsistent rules… are preventing Māori landowners from using their land to house their whānau, exercise autonomy over their whenua, and build wealth,” he said.
“These changes, developed in consultation with papakāinga and Māori planning experts, will reduce bureaucracy and make it easier for Māori landowners to develop papakāinga. Papakāinga provide multiple benefits to whānau, hapū and iwi… because our connection to the whenua is such a key part of being Māori.”
Complementary reforms: Granny flats and papakāinga
Together, the granny flats and papakāinga policies are designed to provide flexible housing options across both individual and communally owned land.
“This proposal would also complement our granny flats policy. Together the two proposals provide options for Māori to build on their existing assets,” Potaka said.
Consultation now open
Public consultation on the proposed changes runs until July 27, with the government aiming to have all 16 national direction instruments in place by the end of the year.
To view or participate in the consultation, visit the Ministry for the Environment website.
