Apply for resource consent

The Application for Resource Consent is a form that initiates your request for consent. Every application must be accompanied by an 'initial payment,' a cost that varies depending on the type of consent. In addition, the resource consent application must also include a certificate of title (CT), plans and diagrams, a full description of the proposed activity, and an assessment of the environmental effects of the activity.

Lodge your consent

You can email the complete application to rcadmin@ncc.govt.nz.

Application for Resource Consent

Download the application form

Download the resource consent application form (539KB PDF)

On the application you'll find a section for Applicant Details where you'll place your personal contact information or the details of your agent should you employ someone to apply on your behalf; a section for property details; a section for activity details (discussed more below); a section to indicate the type of resource consent(s) sought; and a checklist. You will also be asked to sign and date the application.

Type of resource consent(s) sought

Indicate on the form the type of resource consent(s) you are seeking:

Land use consent - eg building, excavation and filling of land, day to day activities such as running a business, making more noise than allowed in a particular zone.
Subdivision consent - subdivision of land including cross leases, unit titles and boundary adjustments.
Coastal permit - occupying space such as for a wharf, dredging or reclamation.
Water to take/dam/divert - taking water from a river or well or causing a change to the flow or course of water.
Discharge permit: air - emitting a discharge from your activity into air.
Discharge permit: water - discharging stormwater into a river or stream.
Discharge permit: land - discharging treated domestic effluent to land.
Extension of time (s.125) - to extend the time the resource consent would normally lapse.
Change of condition (s.127) - to change or cancel condition(s) of an existing and current resource consent.
Certificate of Compliance (s.139) - to verify a particular proposal or activity complies with the Plan rules in relation to that location.
Certificate of existing use (s.139A) - to verify the use of the land or existing activity is allowed to breach a rule without resource consent if it was lawfully established before the rule and the effects of the use are the same or similar.
Other

Subdivision consent

Use the resource consent application above for a subdivision consent.

Information required in an Application

The information and detail required will vary depending on the type of consent applied for and the nature and scale of the proposal. Schedule 4 of the Resource Management Act 1991 (205KB PDF) sets out the information that must be included in an application.

The Council has provided a Guide to applying for Resource Consent (111KB PDF) that explains what information must be included in a straight forward application.

The Council's Duty Planner is also available to offer guidance on what information and detail may be required for your application. Please phone 03 546 0200 to arrange a meeting with the Duty Planner.

Additional Help

The New Zealand Planning Institute is the professional organisation representing planners, resource managers, urban designers, and environmental practitioners throughout New Zealand.

The New Zealand Planning Institute produces an Online Directory to help the public identify a qualified Consultant in their region. Seeking the advice of a qualified professional is more likely to smooth the path, and achieve the desired outcome.

Visit the Planning Consultants online directory to find Professionals in Planning, Design & the Environment.

Check out the Ministry for the Environment website, for a useful guide on preparing an AEE.

Depending on the scale of your activity, you may wish to seek help from an expert to prepare your AEE and/or resource consent application.

Initial payment or charge

An initial charge is required for all applications. The amount varies according to the type of consent.

The initial charge may not cover all the costs of processing the consent. If it costs more, you will be invoiced for additional costs when the decision on the consent is issued. Additional costs might arise in the following situations:

If it takes longer to process the consent than covered by the deposit (charges are based on staff time)
If specialist reports are required and you agree to pay for this additional information/assessment (more on this below)
If the consent needs to be publicly notified; a further payment is required before public notification takes place (more on this below)
If a hearing is required (more on this below)

If the consent costs less to process than the cost of the initial charge, you will receive a refund after the decision on the application is issued. Find more information on resource consents fees and charges.

Costs of public notification

If the application needs to be publicly notified, you will be advised in advance. The further charges associated with public notification must be paid before the notification takes place.

Costs of a hearing

If a hearing is required, you will be invoiced for the costs associated with this when the decision is issued. The applicant is responsible for all costs associated with the hourly rate of the Hearing Panel or Commissioner(s), Council staff, and your own representation.

Costs for specialist reports

The Council may ask you to provide a specialist/expert report yourself, or might ask your permission to commission a report on your behalf, but at your expense. If so, the Council must give you an estimate of the cost, and cannot commission this without your approval. You will be invoiced for all costs when the decision is issued or through pre-arranged interim invoicing.

Certificate of title

The Certificate of Title (CT) is documentation that confirms ownership details, size and dimensions of the property, legal history, and possible limitations or restrictions on the title. When you order a CT, it should be no more than three months old and must include a title plan.

Where to obtain a certificate of title

Contact Land Information New Zealand.

Do I need to consult with anyone before I lodge an application?

If your proposal is likely to affect your neighbours or other people, obtaining their approval may speed up the consent process. Council staff can help you work out who might be affected, and provide you with the 'Written Approval Form' for them to sign. In most instances Council requires signatures from all the owners and occupiers of the affected property or a statement of evidence that the signatory can sign on behalf of others.

Written Approval Form

The Written Approval Form is to be filled out both by the person applying for the resource consent and by the person who is giving approval to the activity in question. You may obtain these approvals before you officially lodge your consent application if you wish to save time. Remember, you need to provide plans to the affected persons and get them to sign all the plans as well as the approval form.

You do not need to consult with anyone to lodge a resource consent application. However, it is always recommended that you talk to people who are likely to be affected by your proposal and explain what you are planning to do. Talking with people who could be affected could help you identify things that people might object to, and help to identify ways that you can avoid or mitigate the effects of your proposed activity.

The key reason you may want to secure the approval of anyone who might be affected by your proposed activity is to enable the consent to be processed without the formal process of public notification. The public notification process adds time and cost to the processing schedule.

The Council will finally determine which people need to provide their approval once a resource consent application has been received. Staff can guide you as to who is likely to be considered affected based on early information you provide.

Download the form to obtain written approval: Resource Consent Written Approvals. (65KB PDF)

Does an application need to go out for public consultation

If the Council identifies that there are parties who may be affected by your proposed activity, such as environmental groups, Department of Conservation, Iwi, neighbours, etc, then you can choose to consult them before lodging your application with a view to getting their agreement to your proposal.

If you choose not carry out any required consultation before lodging your application, or parties identified by the Council do not provide written approvals, or the Council considers the effects of the proposal to be no more than minor, the Council will decide one of four processing routes:

non-notified, no consultation with affected parties is required
non-notified if written approvals are obtained from all affected parties
limited notification, meaning Council requires serving a notice on affected parties should not all written approvals be provided
publicly notified, meaning Council requires serving a widespread notice on the community at large.

If you carry out any consultation before lodging the application, you need to include those details, and the views of those you consulted with, with your AEE.

Are applications confidential

No. Once you've lodged your application with Council, it becomes public information. Council may agree to keep some material private if it is commercially sensitive - clearly identify that material. Otherwise, if asked, Council will provide copies of any resource consent application.

Transfer of Consents

If you sell your land or business you may need to transfer your resource consent to the new owner so they become the new consent holder.

Land use and Subdivision consents are attached to the land and transfer automatically to the new owner when the land is sold (s134 RMA) .
Land use consents in relation to certain uses of the beds of lakes and rivers do not automatically transfer (s134 and s13 RMA)
Water permits, Discharge permits and coastal permits are linked to a person or organisation and do not automatically transfer (s135-137 RMA).

If an activity needs to be transferred it is the responsibility of the two parties to arrange the transfer. Both parties are required to sign the transfer application form and there is a fee. The original consent holder remains responsible for compliance with the conditions, any potential enforcement action and all associated consent charges until the transfer is actioned.

If more advice is sought we recommend you contact the consents department.

For land use and subdivision consents we request you inform the Council’s consent department so we can update the contact details to the new owners.