24 September 2026, NZ: The passing of the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill is a significant and welcome milestone for New Zealand’s growers, recognising important progress toward a more practical resource management system that supports food and fibre production.
HortNZ says the focus now is on ensuring these gains translate into workable, on-the-ground results that give growers confidence to keep investing, innovating and producing healthy fruit and vegetables for New Zealanders.
Kate Scott, chief executive of HortNZ, says growers need a practical, nationally consistent resource management system that supports growing fruit and vegetables while protecting and improving the natural environment.
“These laws directly affect New Zealand’s ability to grow fruit and vegetables, maintain domestic food security and deliver better environmental outcomes.
“Throughout the reform process, HortNZ has advocated for a system that recognises food and fibre production and enables growers to keep producing healthy food while reducing environmental impacts over time.
“The final legislation includes important gains for growers, including express recognition of food and fibre production, reinstatement of controlled activity status and removal of proposed market-based allocation mechanisms.
“However, passing the Bills is not the end of the job. National policy direction, regulations, regional planning and implementation will determine whether the new framework is workable and whether it gives growers the certainty they need to invest.
“There are still important matters to get right through secondary legislation. These include managing reverse sensitivity so new development does not restrict existing growing operations, protecting access to enough water to keep permanent crops alive during severe shortages, and ensuring spatial plans recognise the role of food production and rural environments.
“Many of the details will be shaped through secondary legislation, national policy direction and tools such as national standards, and HortNZ welcomes the opportunity to continue working with the Government to ensure these settings deliver the practical outcomes growers need.
“These secondary settings will guide councils and communities and will be critical to ensuring the new system works in practice – supporting growers to invest with confidence, manage essential resources responsibly and continue producing healthy fruit and vegetables for New Zealanders.”
HortNZ welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Government’s illustrative national policy direction, says Scott.
“It shows how the goals of the new planning system may guide future resource management decisions.
“The opportunity now is to turn the legislation into a system that gives growers confidence to invest, innovate and continue supplying New Zealanders and our global markets with healthy fruit and vegetables.”
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