Freshwater national direction

This Government is committed to enabling primary sector growth as a key driver of both the New Zealand export sector and prosperity in the wider economy. Achieving this will require high-quality regulation that targets environmental outcomes by setting limits for landowners to work within. However, the current freshwater management system is complex and expensive to implement and has not delivered the outcomes for freshwater that New Zealanders expect.

We have committed to replace the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 and the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater to better reflect the interests of all water users.

This Government wants to enable primary sector growth to drive both the New Zealand export sector and prosperity in the wider economy. Growing our economy and improving productivity relies on our primary sector thriving – and right now our freshwater rules are holding it back.

Next year we’ll replace the RMA with new legislation premised on property rights. Our new system will unlock development, streamline processes, and support growth, including in the primary sector. Our simpler resource management system will provide for environmental outcomes without telling landowners how to run their business or imposing unnecessary consenting and compliance costs.

But we aren’t willing to wait until then. New Zealanders need relief from an overly burdensome planning system now. This is why we are proposing targeted changes to a suite of National Direction this year to realise immediate economic gains.

The proposals set out in this discussion document are designed to equip regional councils to manage freshwater resources in a way that is efficient, effective, and aligned with the Government’s goals. In addition, we are seeking feedback on proposals that will address barriers to investment in water storage and provide clearer rules for food production and wetland management.

Some proposals presented in this document are specific while others span a range of approaches. We seek your views on which approach would result in an enduring freshwater management system.

These National Direction changes have been designed to minimise the implementation burden for local government and have been developed with the new system in mind, with these changes expected to carry over and transition into it when the time comes.
6 Package 3: Freshwater – Discussion document

Your input will shape our final proposals, which we expect to be able to test further later this year. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Hon Chris Bishop
Minister Response for RMA Reform

What are we proposing?

The Government is proposing new and amended national direction¹ to improve operation of the resource management system under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). Updated national direction is needed to set national-level resource management policy and rules which inform regional and local plans, policy statements, and resource consent decisions.

The national direction programme proposes:

• targeted amendments to 12 existing national direction instruments and introduction of four new national direction instruments, through a combined statutory consultation process
• consultation on options to amend two existing national direction instruments on freshwater
• consultation on national housing and urban policy (currently part of national direction under the RMA) to inform development of the new resource management system.

The Government is also seeking feedback on whether the freshwater changes should be implemented through amending national direction under the RMA or whether it would be better to implement these under the framework of the new resource management legislation.

For efficiency and integration across related topics, the programme is grouped into four ‘packages’.

Package 1: Infrastructure and development and Package 2: Primary sector comprise new instruments and amendments to existing national direction instruments. These packages are open for public consultation and submissions as part of the statutory process to prepare and amend national direction under section 46A (1) and (2) of the RMA.

Package 3: Freshwater is open for feedback on options to amend existing national direction instruments for freshwater. Submissions are invited on freshwater proposals, which include some broad options. Further consultation will be undertaken through an exposure draft.

Package 4: Going for Housing Growth includes a discussion document for consultation and submissions on key aspects of the Going for Housing Growth Pillar 1 policy proposals, and an indicative assessment of implementation options for different components in the new resource management system. Further consultation will be held as the detailed design of the new system progresses.²

National direction comprises national policy statements, national environmental standards, national planning standards and regulations made under section 360 of the RMA.

Table 1: National direction instruments proposed for development or amendment³

Package 1: Infrastructure and development

• New National Policy Statement for Infrastructure 
• Amendments to National Policy Statement for Renewable Electricity Generation 2011
• Amendments to National Policy Statement on Electricity Transmission 2008 (proposed to be renamed National Policy Statement for Electricity Networks)
• Amendments to Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Electricity Transmission Activities) Regulations 2009 (proposed to be renamed National Environmental Standards for Electricity Network Activities) 
• Amendments to Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Telecommunication Facilities) Regulations 2016
• New National Environmental Standards for Granny Flats (Minor Residential Units) 
• New National Environmental Standards for Papakāinga 
• New National Environmental Standards for Natural Hazards

Package 2: Primary sector

• Amendments to Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture) Regulations 2020
• Amendments to Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry) Regulations 2017
• Amendments to New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010
• Amendments to National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land 2022
• Amendments to Resource Management (Stock Exclusion) Regulations 2020
• Amendments to mining and quarrying provisions in:
  • National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity 2023
  • National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land 2022
  • National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020
  • Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Regulations 2020

Package 3: Freshwater

• Amendments to National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020
• Amendments to Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Regulations 2020

Package 4: Going for Housing Growth

This package focuses on:

• obtaining public feedback on key aspects of the Going for Housing Growth Pillar 1 policy proposals
• providing an indicative assessment about implementing different components in the new resource management system.

^{1 National direction comprises national policy statements, national environmental standards, national planning standards and regulations made under section 360 of the RMA.}

^{2 See Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. Going for Housing Growth programme. Retrieved 28 April 2025.}

^{3 The packages do not propose amendments to other regulations made under section 360 of the RMA, or to the following national direction instruments:}

• ^{National Policy Statement for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Industrial Process Heat}
• ^{National Environmental Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Industrial Process Heat}
• ^{National Environmental Standards for Air Quality}
• ^{National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil to Protect Human Health}
• ^{National Environmental Standards for Sources of Human Drinking Water}
• ^{National Environmental Standards for Storing Tyres Outdoors.}

Why are we changing national direction?

The proposals in the national direction programme are intended to contribute to the overarching goals of the Government’s resource management reform programme, namely:

• unlocking development capacity for housing and business growth 
• enabling delivery of high-quality infrastructure for the future, including doubling renewable energy
• enabling primary sector growth and development, including aquaculture, forestry, pastoral, horticulture and mining.

Role and content of this discussion document

Through this discussion document, the Government invites submissions on the proposals. Submissions will inform advice the Government considers before making final decisions or drafting any amendments to national direction instruments. Further consultation will then be undertaken on an exposure draft of proposals to amend freshwater national direction.

National direction for freshwater includes the following:

• National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020⁴ (NPS-FM)
• Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Regulations 2020⁵ (NES-F)
• Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Sources of Human Drinking Water) Regulations 2007⁶ (NES-DW).

Proposed changes to the Resource Management (Stock Exclusion) Regulations 2020⁷ and specific amendments to freshwater national direction instruments relating to quarrying and mining only are set out in the Package 2: Primary sector discussion document.

Section 2 of this discussion document outlines the scope and content of the proposed amendments to freshwater national direction instruments.

Section 3 outlines the potential tools available to implement freshwater national direction proposals.

Section 4 explains how you can make a submission.

Section 5 provides supporting documents including summary of freshwater proposals and implementation, and draft standards for off-stream water storage.

Further information on the proposed changes to national direction, including Interim Regulatory Impact Statements, can be found on the Changes to resource management web page on the Ministry for the Environment’s website.

^{4 Current and previous versions of this national policy statement are available online. Ministry for the Environment. National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management. Retrieved 5 April 2025.}

^{5 Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Regulations 2020.}

^{6 Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Sources of Human Drinking Water) Regulations 2007.}

^{7 Resource Management (Stock Exclusion) Regulations 2020.}