What the new National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards means for development

The New Zealand Government has brought in new natural hazard regulation with the release of the National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards 2025 (NPSNH), which came into force on 15 January 2026, marking a significant milestone in the next phase of resource management reform. 

For landowners, developers, councils and infrastructure planners, this national direction elevates the role of hazard risk assessment in shaping where and how development can occur. We've been helping clients navigate these issues through our geotechnical team for decades; however, this new NPS-NH adds additional emphasis, and we have the expertise to assist. 

The NPSNH establishes a consistent national framework requiring local authorities to manage natural hazards using a proportionate, risk-based approach. Its policies apply to a wide range of hazards, including flooding, landslips, coastal erosion, coastal inundation, active faults, liquefaction and tsunamis. 

At Davis Oglivie, we may also recommend applying this approach to other natural hazards not listed specifically in the NPS-NH that, in our professional opinion, could impact our client's project lifetime. 

While councils have had to consider natural hazards through other legalisation, this new NPS-NH is more specific and requires embedding natural hazard risk, and the relative severity of that risk, into every aspect of planning and resource consent decision-making. Hazard identification and assessment are no longer procedural steps; they now sit front and centre of due diligence and development planning. 

The NPSNH applies across all environments and zones, including the coastal environment, and to most activities regulated under the Resource Management Act. It specifically excludes infrastructure and primary production, as the government intends to address these sectors through separate policy tools. 

However, any new subdivision, use, or development outside these exclusions must now demonstrate that natural hazard risks are understood and appropriately mitigated before consents will be granted. 

Key changes developers and councils must prepare for:

Hazard risk is now a mandatory planning lens: local councils must give effect to the NPSNH immediately within resource consent decision-making. This means hazard risk assessments will be required upfront for many development proposals, particularly where greenfield, coastal or sloping land is involved. 

New tools for assessing hazard categories: the NPSNH introduces a risk matrix that considers both the likelihood and consequence of hazard events. This framework will ultimately influence: 

• zoning decisions 
• subdivision feasibility 
• building location and platform design 
• engineering mitigation measures 
• long-term land use planning. 

Greater scrutiny on site-specific conditions: assessments of liquefaction, slope stability, flooding, coastal inundation and fault rupture constraints will become standard practice. These requirements align closely with the geotechnical, civil and natural hazard expertise we provide. 

A push toward consistency across the country: one of the longstanding challenges in natural hazard management has been variable practice between councils. The NPSNH aims to reduce this inconsistency by standardising expectations for hazard identification, assessment and response. 

"The implications for landowners and developers are significant and immediate,” says Principal Planner Damienne Donaldson. “Early feasibility assessments will now need to include a more thorough review of natural hazard risk before committing to design, purchase, or development pathways." 

"Consent processes may take longer and require more technical evidence, particularly in areas identified as medium or high risk. Mitigation requirements may change the cost and viability of some projects, especially those in coastal, flood-prone or unstable land areas. Existing use rights remain protected, but new development will face clearer and stricter hazard management expectations." 

For all parties, understanding hazard risk at the earliest stage will reduce cost, delay and uncertainty. 

How Davis Ogilvie can help 

We are an integrated team of civil engineers, geotechnical specialists, surveyors and planners uniquely positioned to guide clients through this shift. 

We can support with: 

• early hazard and site feasibility assessments 
• flooding, liquefaction, slope stability and coastal hazard modelling 
• engineering design that proactively mitigates hazard risk 
• planning advice and resource consent strategy 
• surveying to support accurate hazard mapping. 

With the NPSNH now in force, the development landscape in 2026 is more complex but also clearer. Projects that genuinely understand and manage natural hazard risk will be better positioned to proceed through the planning system with confidence. 

Looking ahead 

The NPSNH signals that natural hazard resilience is no longer optional in New Zealand’s built environment. It is a central pillar of how we plan, design and construct communities. For landowners, developers and councils, partnering with the right technical experts will be crucial to navigating this new era of risk-aware development. 

We're ready to help clients adapt and thrive as this national direction reshapes the future of land development.