National has been clear with councils – focus on the basics. Fix the pipes, collect the rubbish, and fill the potholes. Despite that, if you have opened your rates bill lately you would have been in for a shock as some communities see double-digit rates increases year after year.
That’s why our Government has announced we will progress a rates cap to require councils to keep rates increases under control. Households are careful with their spending and councils should be too.
Our plan will limit rates increases to a maximum of 4 per cent per year. This would force councils to live within their means, focus on the basics and be more accountable to their communities.
It wasn’t the only good news around local government recently as this follows the recent announcement that we are proposing to remove regional councillors. We would replace them with local Mayors who, together, represent the region.
Local government is meant to serve communities, not confuse them – but right now the system is tangled in duplication, disagreements, and decisions that defy common sense.
Kiwis deserve local government that works for them, without pilling on costs and unnecessary regulation.
Our reforms to local Government tie directly into the exciting announcement of our new planning system – replacing the RMA.
One of New Zealanders’ regular “water cooler conversations” is comparing their experiences of seeking consents for home renovations or making changes on their farm or in their small business. Whatever the scenario, there’s a familiar theme of extra costs, extra time and immense frustration. It is currently too hard and too costly to get things built in New Zealand, with too many layers of red and green tape. The Resource Management Act is the main cause of the problem.
That is why the National-led Government is scrapping the RMA and replacing it with a new planning system that will make it easier and cheaper to get things done.
This is the biggest economic reform in a generation. The new planning system will save ratepayers and taxpayers $13.3b by regulating only what is necessary and reducing the number of consents required by up to 46%.
It will also mean more growth and higher living standards for New Zealanders. The system will unlock more housing across New Zealand, speeding up critical infrastructure like roads, energy projects, hospitals, and schools, and back our world-class farmers and growers to get on with doing what they do best.
The changes also increase certainty, with clearer consultation requirements, standardised rules and faster conflict resolution through a new low-cost planning tribunal. That will give developers more confidence to invest in New Zealand.
National is ending the culture of ‘no’. We want to encourage people to develop their good ideas, not be put off by unnecessary delays, obstacles and additional costs. We have passed Fast-track to help New Zealand get on with building the projects of national and regional significance the country needs, and now we are delivering on our promise to introduce a new planning system to make all Kiwis better off. National is fixing the basics and building the future.
These announcements are part of National’s plan to fix the basics and build the future.
And just finally, I would like to wish you and your family a happy and safe time over the holidays and New Year. I hope that you can find time to unwind, relax and reset. 2026 will be another big year for New Zealand, and I’m confident that it will be a great one. –Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand