- Hon Chris Bishop
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has released an investigation report and launched consultation on specific provisions in the Hamilton City Operative District Plan.
The report follows a request from Hamilton social housing developers for the Minister to exercise the regulation-making power in the Resource Management Act, which enables the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform to remove or modify provisions in district plans where they negatively impact economic growth, development capacity or employment.
"A social housing provider asked me to look at provisions relating to multi-unit residential development and housing supply in the Hamilton City Operative District Plan," Mr Bishop says.
"The review covers specific provisions relating to mandatory electric vehicle charging infrastructure, cycle and micro-mobility parking requirements, deep soil planting and urban tree canopy rules, as well as building design controls.
"The investigation found that some of these provisions may be unnecessarily increasing the cost and complexity of development and explores how these impacts can be remedied. I am now consulting on those findings.
"New Zealand needs more homes, particularly affordable and social housing, and we need to ensure planning rules are supporting development rather than making it harder and more expensive to build.
"Community consultation is an important part of this process, and I encourage anyone with relevant information, evidence or views on these provisions to take part.
"The Government's objective is straightforward: to make it easier to build homes, support economic growth, and ensure planning rules are fit for purpose."
Hamilton City Council will now be invited to provide feedback on the findings. Consultation with affected parties and the general public opens Monday 24 August 2026 and runs until Monday 7 September 2026.
Notes to editor:
- Following consultation, officials will analyse submissions and provide advice to the Government before any decisions are made on potential regulations.
- The consultation has been launched under the Resource Management Act regulation-making power introduced through the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Act 2025.
- The regulation-making power enables the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform to recommend regulations to remove or modify local plan provisions that negatively impact economic growth, development capacity or employment.
- The investigation report is available on the Ministry for the Environment website: Hamilton District Plan - Residential Provisions: Report of Investigations
- Further information will be available on the MCERT Have Your Say webpage as part of the public consultation package.
- Affected parties are:
- relevant Government entities
- Waikato Regional Council, Waikato District Counil and Waipa Council
- relevant iwi groups (Waikato-Tainui)
- Further information will be available on the MCERT Have Your Say webpage as part of the public consultation package.
- Public consultation opens Monday 24 August 2026 and closes Monday 7 September 2026.
- Following consultation, officials will analyse submissions and provide advice before any decisions are made on potential regulations.
The provisions being looked at in the Hamilton City Operative District Plan are:
a. Deep soil area requirements in residential zones.
- Provisions relating to the amount, dimensions, depth and definition of deep soil areas.
b. Urban tree canopy requirements in residential zones.
- Provisions relating to tree canopy coverage, tree retention and specimen tree planting.
c. Built form controls for long building walls near external boundaries in residential zones.
- Provisions controlling the design and placement of long building walls near external boundaries in residential zones.
d. Electric vehicle charging requirements for multi-unit residential developments.
- Requirements for electric vehicle charging infrastructure associated with multi-unit residential development.
e. Residential cycle and micro-mobility parking requirements for higher-density housing types.
- Requirements for cycle and micro-mobility parking associated with higher-density residential development.
f. Design and access standards.
- Specific building design and access requirements applying to residential development.
