# Act pledges ban on compulsory karakia in resource consents

> Act party to remove religious ceremonies from resource consent requirements.
- Title: Act pledges ban on compulsory karakia in resource consents
- Summary: Act party to remove religious ceremonies from resource consent requirements. Act proposes banning compulsory karakia and spiritual observances in resource…
- Keywords: act, resource consents, karakia, spiritual effects, planning act, natural environment act, te mana o te wai, cultural effects, mana whenua, consent conditions, politics, news
- Source: RNZ — https://rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026/1719810/act-pledges-ban-on-compulsory-karakia-in-resource-consents
- Author: RNZ | Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa
- Published: 2026-10-04T04:08:47+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: act, resource consents, karakia, spiritual effects, planning act, natural environment act, te mana o te wai, cultural effects, mana whenua, consent conditions, politics, news
## Act party proposes spiritual exclusion
The ACT party says it wants to leave spirituality out of infrastructure planning by ruling out religious ceremonies as a condition of resource consents.
## Simon Court explains spiritual effects
Simon Court, ACT's Infrastructure, Energy and Climate Change spokesperson, says planning law should regulate measurable effects and protect legal rights, not spiritual beliefs.
## Karakia in IKEA consent case
The IKEA Sylvia Park consent required invitations to seven mana whenua groups for karakia and ceremonies at construction milestones.
## New laws exclude spiritual effects
The new Planning Act and Natural Environment Act, which became law this week, do not carry over the RMA's spiritual value requirement.
## ACT proposes spiritual exclusion rules
ACT would exclude purely spiritual effects from resource consents, banning compulsory spiritual observances and replacing Te Mana o te Wai with measurable freshwater outcomes.
## What happens next
ACT says it will finish the job by implementing rules that protect real heritage sites and water quality while removing spiritual requirements from resource consents.
## Key takeaway

Act proposes banning compulsory karakia and spiritual observances in resource consents if elected.