--- title: "The Planning Act Transition Starts 30 October: What Changes for Auckland Consents" description: The move from the RMA to the Planning Act 2026 starts on 30 October. What it means for Auckland consents in progress, existing consents and private plan changes. image: https://blog.rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/hubfs/RWC%20AEO%20Blog%20Heroes/20261023_rwc_blog_planning_act_auckland.jpeg --- [Skip to content](https://blog.rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/rwc-auckland-blog/the-planning-act-transition-starts-30-october-what-changes-for-auckland-consents#main-content) [![RWC Primary](https://blog.rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/RWC004_RGB_Master_%20Concrete.png?width=2482&height=2481&name=RWC004_RGB_Master_%20Concrete.png)Homepage](https://rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/) [Visit our website](https://rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/) [Visit our website](https://rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/) ![Aerial view of central Auckland streets and buildings](https://blog.rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/RWC%20AEO%20Blog%20Heroes/20261023_rwc_blog_planning_act_auckland.jpeg?width=1600&height=900&name=20261023_rwc_blog_planning_act_auckland.jpeg) # The Planning Act transition starts 30 October: what changes for Auckland consents ![Mike Hoeft](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/ea6c3b54c1765f3e6a4c44ee540f2ab1) Mike Hoeft October 23, 2026 On 30 October 2026 the transition from the RMA to the Planning Act 2026 and the Natural Environment Act 2026 begins. Both Acts received royal assent on 30 September. The first thing every Auckland developer should know is that the RMA doesn't switch off that day. It keeps running the consent process, in amended form, until a Specified Transition Date that's expected to be set by 2030. That makes the next few years a hybrid period. When you lodge, and what you already hold, now matter as much as what you're applying for. ## What happened MinterEllison's summary of the new Acts, published on 1 October 2026, sets out the transition rules: - Applications lodged before the transition period are processed under the RMA as it stood. - Applications lodged during the transition period are processed under the RMA as amended at the time you lodge. - Resource consents granted under the RMA carry over as equivalent permissions under the new regime, on the same conditions. - From the start of the transition period, some effects drop out of consideration under the RMA, including residential design features, trade competition, lack of project demand and views from private property. - The current pause on plan changes continues until the end of the transition period, and private plan changes can't be notified from 1 January 2028 until the Specified Transition Date, subject to ministerial exemptions. ## What it means for Auckland land **A consent you already hold keeps its value.** It carries over on the same conditions. For anyone selling a consented site, that removes one question a buyer would otherwise discount for. **Some residential arguments get narrower.** Design features and views from neighbouring private property have been common points of contention on Auckland housing schemes. Taking them out of consideration should shorten some of those arguments. Whether it helps a particular application depends on the activity and the Auckland Unitary Plan rules that apply, so get your planner's view on your scheme rather than assuming. **The rezoning window is closing.** If the value in your land depends on a private plan change, the notification window shuts on 1 January 2028. A landowner holding out for a rezoning should know that date, and a buyer pricing in rezoning upside should too. ## Who should act and how **If you have an application nearly ready,** ask your planner whether lodging before or after 30 October changes how it's assessed. The difference is the version of the RMA it's processed under. **If you hold a consent,** check its conditions and its lapse date now. It carries over, but only on the terms it already has. **If you're buying a site,** add one line to your due diligence: which version of the rules the consent, or the application, sits under. **If you're selling,** put the consent documents, conditions and dates in the information pack from day one. Buyers pay more for certainty, and the transition creates questions you can answer before they're asked. ## What I'd watch next The Order in Council that sets the Specified Transition Date. It may be set nationally or region by region, and Auckland's date will decide how long the hybrid period runs here. Until then, timing is part of every consenting decision. ## Questions developers ask us **Does the RMA stop applying on 30 October 2026?** No. The RMA keeps governing consents during the transition period, in amended form, until the Specified Transition Date, which is expected by 2030. **Will my existing resource consent still be valid?** Yes. Consents granted under the RMA carry over as equivalent permissions under the new regime, on the same conditions. **Can I still apply for a private plan change?** Private plan changes can't be notified from 1 January 2028 until the Specified Transition Date, subject to ministerial exemptions. Talk to a planner now if a rezoning is part of your plan. This is a general summary, not legal advice. If you're weighing up whether to sell, hold or lodge on an Auckland site through the transition, give me a call, or start at [rwcommercialauckland.co.nz](https://rwcommercialauckland.co.nz). Source: MinterEllison, "The Planning Act 2026 and Natural Environment Act 2026 are in force: what you need to know now", 1 October 2026. --- ## Get RWC Auckland insights tailored to your situation We’re going behind the scenes on Auckland development land, project sales, and what developers are actually paying right now. Tell us what you’re working on and we’ll send the right intel your way. ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rwcommercialauckland.co.nz%2Frwc-auckland-blog%2Fthe-planning-act-transition-starts-30-october-what-changes-for-auckland-consents](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fblog.rwcommercialauckland.co.nz%2Frwc-auckland-blog%2Fthe-planning-act-transition-starts-30-october-what-changes-for-auckland-consents) ## Keep reading ### [![](https://blog.rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/RWC%20AEO%20Blog%20Heroes/rwc_blog_1789420956276.png?width=1024&height=1024&name=rwc_blog_1789420956276.png) Plan Change 120: What Auckland's Amended Housing Plan Does to Your Site](https://blog.rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/rwc-auckland-blog/plan-change-120-what-auckland-s-amended-housing-plan-does-to-your-site) ### [![](https://blog.rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/RWC%20AEO%20Blog%20Heroes/rwc_blog_1787605311291.png?width=1024&height=1024&name=rwc_blog_1787605311291.png) Off-the-Plan in Auckland: The Risks Buyers Don't Ask About (But Should)](https://blog.rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/rwc-auckland-blog/off-the-plan-in-auckland-the-risks-buyers-don-t-ask-about-but-should) [![RWC004\_RGB\_Master\_White](https://blog.rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/hs-fs/hubfs/RWC004_RGB_Master_White.png?width=160&height=160&name=RWC004_RGB_Master_White.png "RWC004_RGB_Master_White")](https://rwcommercialauckland.co.nz/) - Home - Products - Pricing - Blog - Company --- Privacy Policy · Legal · © 2026 RWC Auckland. 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