Resource Management Act 1991

Standards, policy statements, and plans - Planning processes stopped until 31 December 2027 - Withdrawal of proposed planning instruments

80Q: When proposed planning instruments must be withdrawn

You could also call this:

"When councils must cancel proposed planning rules"

Illustration for Resource Management Act 1991

If you are a local authority, you must withdraw a proposed planning instrument as soon as possible, but not later than 90 working days after this subpart commences. You do not have to withdraw it if an exemption applies under section 80U, or if you have applied for an exemption under section 80V, or if the Minister directs against a withdrawal under section 80T.

If you have applied for an exemption under section 80V but have not received a decision from the Minister, you do not have to withdraw the proposed planning instrument until the Minister declines your application.

If an exemption only applies to part of a proposed planning instrument, you must still withdraw the remaining parts of the instrument.

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This page was last updated on 10 September 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1494535.

Topics:

Government and voting > Local councilsEnvironment and resources > Town planning

80P: Notification stopped until 31 December 2027, or

"No need to tell people about new planning rules until 31 December 2027"

80R: Public notice of withdrawal, or

"When a council stops a planning proposal, they must tell the public about it"

Part 5Standards, policy statements, and plans
Planning processes stopped until 31 December 2027: Withdrawal of proposed planning instruments

80QWhen proposed planning instruments must be withdrawn

A local authority must withdraw a proposed planning instrument as soon as possible after this subpart commences, but not later than 90 working days after the commencement of this subpart, unless—
an exemption applies under section 80U; or
the local authority has applied for an exemption under section 80V; or
the Minister directs against a withdrawal under section 80T.

If the local authority has applied for an exemption under section 80V, but has not received notice of the Minister’s decision, the local authority need not withdraw the proposed planning instrument until a decision to decline the application is received from the Minister.
To avoid doubt, if an exemption applies only to part of a proposed planning instrument, the remaining parts of that instrument must be withdrawn in accordance with subsection (1).

Notes

Section 80Q: inserted, on 21 August 2025, by section 26 of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 41).