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Resource consents

Resource consents help sustainably manage and protect our natural environment and resources.  

The purpose of a resource consent is to put controls around activities that may have an effect on the environment. Consent must meet the requirements of:

Finding resource consents across the region

Use our Consents mapping tool to locate consents across the Bay of Plenty.

Resource Consents and the New Planning System

The Government has replaced the Resource Management Act (RMA) with the Natural Environment Act and Planning Act. The new planning system will be introduced over several years.

While we transition to the new planning system, existing resource consent processes, regional plans and consent conditions remain in place. If you need a resource consent, please continue to follow the current process outlined here.

For information about the new planning system, including what is changing, when changes will occur, and how the new system is being introduced, visit the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport website.

More information about what this means for resource consents between 2026 and approximately 2029 is provided below.

October 2026


What it means for resource consents from 2026 to approximately 2029

  • Although the RMA has been replaced, it will continue to apply during the transition period.

  • Existing Regional Plans remain in force.  

  • If your activity requires a resource consent under our Regional Plans or a National Environmental Standard, you will still need to apply for a resource consent.

  • From 30 September 2026, some changes to the RMA will take effect. These include an extension to the duration of most existing resource consents that would otherwise expire between now and approximately 2029.

  • Resource consents will continue to be processed under the RMA until a new Combined Land Use and Natural Environment Plan for the region is in place and the Governor-General issues an Order in Council to ‘switch off’ the RMA for the region.  This is expected to happen near the end of 2029.

  • Resource consent applications lodged before 30 September 2026 will continue to be processed under the RMA as it existed when the application was lodged.

  • Applications should continue to include clear information about environmental effects, engagement undertaken and how the application relates to relevant policies. Applicants are encouraged to seek pre-application advice from our Consents Team.

  • Engagement with tangata whenua remains an important part of good consenting practice. Changes to these requirements are not expected until the RMA is switched off.

  • Existing resource consents issued under the RMA will remain valid until they expire.

  • Consent holders must continue to comply with their consent conditions. 

  • Stronger enforcement powers, including Adverse Publicity Orders, will take effect from 30 September 2026.

  • More changes are still to come. Initial national rules and national direction are yet to be released, and a Planning Tribunal is yet to be established. 

We will update this page as more information becomes available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most resource consents will continue as normal during the transition to the new resource management system.

Some resource consents due to expire between 2027 and 2029 will receive an automatic extension. Certain consent types, including some freshwater, municipal wastewater treatment plant, marine farm and pre-1991 water take consents, are subject to different transition arrangements.

If you are unsure whether the changes affect your consent, contact the Duty Planner at Consents.Queries@boprc.govt.nz

No. Existing resource consents remain valid and continue to operate under their current conditions until they expire or are surrendered.

No. Most consent holders do not need to do anything immediately.

You must continue to comply with your consent conditions and apply for a replacement consent before expiry if you wish to continue the activity.

Yes. If your activity currently requires a resource consent under a Regional Plan or National Environmental Standard, you will still require consent until the new planning system is introduced in this region.

Yes. Bay of Plenty Regional Council continues to accept and process resource consent applications.

The specified transition date will be set by the Government. It is the date used to determine when certain transitional provisions take effect, including the new expiry dates for some resource consents.

No. Your consent is not being extended and will have expired on 1 October 2026.

If you have not already applied for a replacement consent, and you need to continue taking more water than is allowed under the permitted activity rules, you must apply for a new resource consent.

Yes. Your resource consent duration will be extended by 2 to 4 years after the specified transition date, unless it is:

  • a freshwater resource consent that will be 35 years old; or

  • a resource consent for a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

The new expiry date will be two to four years after the specified transition date.

The Government has not yet set the specified transition date. Based on current Government timelines, this is expected to occur around 2029. This would mean extended consents are likely to expire between late 2031 and late 2033.

We will notify affected consent holders once the specified transition date is confirmed.

If your resource consent is eligible for an extension, we will write to you by April 2027.

At this stage, we will not be able to confirm the exact expiry date because the specified transition date has not yet been set by the Government. Based on current estimates, extended consents are likely to expire between late 2031 and late 2033.

If you have s124 rights and your type of consent is not excluded from the extension, your consent duration will be extended.

You can choose to:

  • continue processing your application under the RMA as it applied when the application was lodged; or

  • place your application on hold by advising us in writing.

If you place your application on hold:

  • it will likely need to be processed under the Natural Environment Act and the future Combined Plan for the Bay of Plenty region; and

  • you will be invoiced for the work completed on your application so far.

If you would like to discuss your options, contact our Duty Planner or the planner who is processing your application at consents.queries@boprc.govt.nz

Yes. You can apply for a replacement resource consent at any time.

The duration will depend on the type of consent and the circumstances of the proposal.

For example:

  • water take consents in the Bay of Plenty are generally granted for 15 years, which is consistent with the Regional Policy Statement; and

  • Rotorua geothermal consents are generally granted for 10 years, in accordance with the Rotorua Geothermal Regional Plan.

Consent duration is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

For advice on your proposal, contact the Duty Planner at Consents.Queries@boprc.govt.nz.

To prevent further annual fees, you can surrender your resource consent by filling out this surrender form and sending it to regulatoryadmin@boprc.govt.nz

No. Marine farm consents were previously extended by 20 years and are not affected by these changes.

The thresholds under the RMA for limited notification and public notification of resource consent applications are not changing.

However, the threshold under the RMA for ‘special circumstances’ for public notification will be removed from 30 September 2026. Resource consent applications lodged after that date will not be assessed for special circumstances.

Resource consents for wastewater treatment plants that were due to expire between 27 August 2025 and 27 August 2028 were extended to 27 August 2028 through amendments to the RMA that support implementation of the Wastewater Environmental Performance Standards.

These consents are not being extended further under the latest RMA amendments.

Fast-track consenting

The Fast-track Approvals Act establishes a permanent fast track approvals regime for a range of infrastructure, housing and development projects. Under this Act, applicants with eligible projects can apply to bypass the normal resource consent process. Final decisions on projects will be made by an expert panel.

The Act has been in force since 23 December 2024.

  • Foresta - Kawerau - Stage 1 - Pine Chemicals and Wood Pellet Plant

  • Bell Road Limited Partnership, Wairakei South

  • Tauriko West by Tauriko Property Group

  • Ngā Pōtiki a Tamapahore Trust, Tara Road Development

  • Port of Tauranga Limited, Stella Passage Development

  • New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Takitimu North Link Stage 2

  • Port of Tauranga Limited, Capital and Maintenance Dredging Reconsenting Project

  • New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, SH29 Tauriko Network Connections (including Omanawa Bridge replacement)

  • Te Rāhui Herenga Waka Limited Partnership, Te Rāhui Land Fill Project

  • Katikati Quarries (2001) Ltd, Katikati Quarry Expansion

  • Manawa Energy Limited, Kaimai Hydro-Electric Power Scheme Re-Consenting

More information on Fast-track projects and the process can be found on the government website www.fasttrack.govt.nz

If you are considering utilising the Fast-track process for a project, we encourage you to start pre-application engagement with us early. Email Consents.Queries@boprc.govt.nz