Resource Consents Extended: Key Changes Under the Duration of Consents Amendment Bill
Along with the Planning and Natural Environment Bills that the government introduced earlier this week to replace the RMA, the Resource Management (Duration of Consents) Amendment Bill has also been introduced and passed under urgency as of 9 December 2025 and currently awaits royal assent, in the coming days.
Objective
The Duration of Consents Bill will extend the expiry dates of resource consents, to help with the transition to the new regime to be established by the Planning and Natural Environment Bills. This move is intended to avoid uncertainty and unnecessary administration and cost for consent holders, during this transition.
Provisions
The Bill will have the following effect:
- Most resource consents that would otherwise expire before 31 December 2027, will be extended until that date.
- Most resource consents that expire before the Duration of Consents Bill comes into law will also be reinstated and extended until 31 December 2027. However, this is subject to the requirement that a new (replacement) consent application has been made but not yet determined, and the consent holder therefore able to exercise the expiring consent under s 124 of the RMA.
- Consent authorities will automatically update their records to reflect the new expiry date and will notify those affected by these changes.
Further extensions under Schedule 1 Clause 17 of the Planning Bill
Following on from the proposed 2027 extension date, once the new Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill are enacted mid 2026, Schedule 1 Clause 17 of the Planning Bill will enable a further extension to consents. This will extend two years past the end of the ‘national transitional period’, which is yet to be defined but expected to be 2031.
New consent applications will still be able to be made during the transitional period and will follow a transitional RMA process. Further information about the transitional period and new RMA regime available here.
Exclusions to the consent extensions under Duration of Consents Bill
The Bill explicitly excludes the following types of resource consents from being automatically extended:
- Consents in relation to fresh water if they would extend beyond a duration of 35 years in total. Water permits can only be extended to a maximum term of 35 years.
- Wastewater consents that are already extended under s 139C or s 139D of the RMA 1991.
Further Action Required?
No further action is required by consent holders to receive these extensions. However, consent holders will still be able to progress and/or withdraw any application to replace an affected consent.
Want to know more?
Resource Management (Duration of Consents) Amendment Bill available here.
If you have any questions about consents or potential implications of the Resource Management (Duration of Consents) Amendment Bill, please contact our specialist Environment, planning and natural resources team.