Special Edition Webinar: Resource Management Act Update
In this webinar Simon Peirce (Gallaway Cook Allan) will discuss the impact of the amendments to the Resource Management Act.
Description
Discover how changes to the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) are reshaping environmental risk and creating opportunities for investment.
The Government’s reforms to the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) mark a decisive swing towards enabling development and investment. Sweeping changes to National Direction and a replacement of the RMA will reshape environmental regulation for the foreseeable future.
This webinar will focus on changes that seek to unlock development and opportunities in areas such as farming, housing, and infrastructure. We’ll explore how updates to regulations are helping overcome the “chilling” effect they previously had on development. You’ll also learn how to position clients to hit the ground running when the policy window open.
If your practice involves advising on land, development, farming, or infrastructure investments, this session will provide the clarity and tools you need to guide clients with confidence.
Topics covered in this webinar include:
- Understand the framework of the RMA: grasp the fundamental hierarchy of national, regional, and district planning.
- Identify the "Macro Factors" Driving Change: Understand the broader political and ideological shifts influencing the volatility of environmental regulation.
- Grasp the Government's Reform Strategy: Understand the three-phase approach to the RMA's reform.
- Work through specific changes in sectors, focussing on development and investment opportunities:
- Fast-track: major projects using dedicated “fast-track” legislation.
- Housing: unlock development for property owners through permitted ancillary dwellings (i.e. granny flats).
- Primary Sector: cutting regulations around intensive winter grazing, farm environment plans, forestry, freshwater policy changes, highly productive land.
- Infrastructure: consistent and streamlined policy nation-wide to drive infrastructure investment.
- Positioning your clients to move, develop or consider investment decisions while the policy window is open.
CPD Hours and Recordings
1.5 CPD hours
Presenters

Simon Peirce
Associate, Gallaway Cook Allan
Simon is an Associate in the Resource Management team at Gallaway Cook Allan and deals with a wide range of planning, environment, regulatory and compliance issues for his clients.
Simon's clients range from developers with project aspirations, neighbours with concerns about developers aspirations, large scale poultry farms and electricity distribution providers. He says "The best part of what I do is working with such a broad client base and the overcoming their unique issues or achieving their desired outcomes"
His experience includes providing advice on: development rights, projects requiring resource consent or rezoning via plan change, regulatory and compliance issues, disputes between neighbours related to developments affecting their properties, as well as all matters of regulation and compliance for electricity distribution businesses. In all respects, there is a large degree of problem solving, pragmatism and working with the client hands on.
In representing his clients, Simon has appeared in several District and Regional Plan Change hearings on resource consents and plan changes, as well as representing clients at Environment Court and High Court proceedings.

Hannah Perkin
Associate, Gallaway Cook Allan
Hannah joined the resource management team after completing a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Science, majoring in plant biotechnology at the University of Otago. Growing up on a farm on the West Coast, she has a love for the environment and farming. This background proves useful in taking a practical and pragmatic approach to resource management.
She has experience in plan changes, resource consents, and Environment Court appeals. Hannah has a particular interest in regulatory challenges posed to farmers, aiming to making sense of the turbulent regulations.
She is a member of the Resource Management Law Association and is Secretary on the Otago Women’s Law Society (OWLS) Committee. Hannah also volunteers her time providing mentoring support to children through Presbyterian Support’s Buddy Programme.