Central Government Ministers Tell Auckland Council to Be Pragmatic — Right as MDRS Withdrawal Bites
Central Government Ministers have issued a letter that appears to directly contradict Auckland Council’s MDRS withdrawal position.
The letter, dated 1 October 2025, tells Council to be pragmatic. The relevant passage reads:
“We expect you to be seeking opportunities to streamline consenting processes, reduce onerous requirements wherever possible, and ease the consenting burden while we get the system changes in place. Where appropriate, this will mean exercising discretion available to you under the RMA, which can include extending consenting timeframes and working with individual applicants to reach pragmatic solutions.”
Read that alongside my post from 29 September about the MDRS withdrawal, where Council gave fifteen days’ notice to invalidate development rights with no transitional provisions and no recognition of legitimate expectations.
The Ministers are telling Council to exercise discretion and work with applicants. Council’s approach to PC78 did the opposite.
If you are affected by the MDRS withdrawal, this letter matters. It signals that central government expects a different standard of conduct from Council than what affected applicants have been experiencing. Keep it in mind when engaging with Council or seeking legal advice before 9 October.
