Unlocking papakāinga across New Zealand

What's at stake

Who feels it

Owners and iwi with ancestral Māori land; councils with planning authority; whānau and communities building papakāinga on rural, residential and Māori purpose zoned land.

Money in play

TBC

Timing

04 June 2026 (publication in New Zealand Gazette); 02 July 2026 (commencement date); ongoing transitional period under proposed Planning and Natural Environment Acts.

How it works

National Environmental Standards for Papakāinga (NES-P) made under the Resource Management Act 1991; will continue to have effect during transitional period under proposed Planning and Natural Environment Acts.

Key context

From 2 July 2026, you can build up to 10 homes on ancestral Māori land in rural, residential and Māori purpose zones without needing resource consent if standards are met.Papakāinga on Treaty of Waitangi settlement land owned by post-settlement governance entities (PSGEs) in their area of interest can be built as a restricted discretionary activity.Your district plan can set rules that are more enabling than the NES-P.Land that is a legal entity/person under an Act (including maunga listed in Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Act 2014) is excluded from 'ancestral Māori land' definition.Standards protect the environment and health/safety of residents — check the full standards for specific conditions.Track the transition from Resource Management Act to proposed Planning and Natural Environment Acts to understand how NES-P will apply post-transition.

Wider effects

Wider RMA national direction reform programme including infrastructure barriers removal, granny flat and housing growth provisions, primary sector rules reform, and renewable energy consenting — NES-P sits within this broader suite of changes and will continue during transitional period under proposed Planning and Natural Environment Acts.