The National Party says it would introduce a six-month deadline for resource consent applications for medium-sized projects, if re-elected.
The six-month limit would apply to projects such as new subdivisions, retail and industrial developments and infrastructure.
National says local councils need to be aware that every day of delay costs money and the new policy should sharpen the focus of local body officials.
The party's leader, John Key, made the announcement at a construction site in Tauranga.
Mr Key said changes made in National's first term resulted in a reduction of the number of late consents by 31% since 2008, or 10,000 consents a year.
He says National's next stage of reforms would address problems identified in the wake of the Canterbury earthquakes.
That would include an obligation on local councils to consider natural hazards like liquefaction before approving new subdivisions.
Latest official figures show councils are meeting existing deadlines in 95% of cases, but National's environment spokesperson Nick Smith said those figures apply to non-notified consents rather than medium sized projects, for which there is no timetable.
Dr Smith says there are about 1800 such projects each year and there is anecdotal evidence of delays.
Local Government New Zealand spokesperson on the RMA, Fran Wilde, told Checkpoint there can be long delays, the Environment Court appeal process in particular slows things down and the situation needs to be fixed.
Labour says a shorter process would have the potential to force bad decisions and would allow less opportunity for people to have their say about development in their neighbourhoods.
The Green Party is also concerned the changes would undermine community involvement, and it says they could further shift the balance from environmental protection towards unsustainable development.
