Frequently Asked Planning Questions
The following frequently asked planning questions are dealt with below:
You do not always need a planner to help you with your application. However it is advisable to engage a planner to -
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Prepare applications for publicly-notified applications.
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Prepare applications for limited-notified applications.
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Present evidence before a Council or the Environment Court supporting your application
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Prepare applications with Assessment of Environmental Effects that are more than minor. A discussion with your council planner should give you a clear indication of this.
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Prepare submissions on a limited or publicly notified application.
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Prepare a submission on a plan change.
In choosing your planner the following are a list of things you may wish to consider:
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What is the expected timeframe before they can get started?
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What are their qualifications? Is it relevant to your proposal? University qualifications and their membership to the professional bodies.
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What is their experience? Is it relevant for your proposal? A person who usually deals with water permits may not be the most suitable in dealing with a large scale subdivision.
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What are the likely costs?
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Are they helpful? Try phoning a couple of planners and ask them some questions about what you want to do and see if they just answer or give helpful suggestions and tips.
When do I need a resource consent?
You need to get a resource consent when either the activity you want to do on your land does not comply with the District Plan, or the District Plan or Regional Plan identifies an activity as requiring a resource consent.
Every application varies. For a simple resource consent, a typical price is around $1,500 - $2,000 (excluding GST). However, if the application is publicly notified, the cost could be closer to $5,000. For a more in-depth estimate of costs, see our resource consent timeline and costs page. To get a more accurate assessment of the costs for your unique situation, please consult your local planner.
How long will my application take?
There is a certain degree of how long is a piece of string in this question. For a non-notified resource consent application (not for a subdivision), the application is likely to take around 35 working days or 1 1/2 months from first engaging a planner to getting the consent. For a notified application (not for a subdivision), the application is likely to take around 4 - 5 months from beginning to end. For a more in-depth estimate of timeframes, see our resource consent timeline and costs page. To get a more accurate assessment of the timeframe for your unique situation, please consult your local planner.
Your level of involvement is entirely up to you. Some people like to be involved, have a regular meeting, speak at a hearing, draw a plan of their proposal. However others prefer to leave the work to be done by the planner. You can discuss the level of your involvement with your planning professional.
A nearby development may affect me, what can I do?
If the application is being publicly notified or you have been identified in a limited notified application, you can make a submission. Your submission can be in support, opposition or conditionally support (meaning with alternations you would be okay with the proposal). For for information on submissions, please see the submission section of the website.
Do I need to own a property before I apply for a resource consent to use it?
No. For many people, receiving a resource consent is part of a condition on purchasing a property. Also people can obtain resource consent over land they do not own, for example a gravel extraction beside a river, the land may be in the ownership of the Crown or the Department of Conservation.
How close can I build to my boundary?
How close you can build to your boundary will largely depend on the District Plan requirements in your District / City regarding the height of a building and the side and front yard requirements. The distance will usually be from 1 metre from the boundary, upto around 15 metres and depends largely on the District Plan rules, you should consult you local Council for these.
However you can usually, with affected persons approval, build closer to the boundary than the District Plan allows. You should be aware, when building within one metre of a boundary, you will need to comply with the fire rating standards.
