Finding out that a project needs resource consent is only the beginning.
Before an application reaches council, the proposal needs to be understood, the relevant planning rules identified and the supporting information prepared. From there, the application moves through council assessment, with the exact pathway depending on the project.
At a high level, the process looks something like this:
Understand the proposal
Check the planning rules
Prepare the application
Lodge with council
Council assessment
Further information or notification, if required
Decision
Consent conditions
Not every project will follow exactly the same path, but understanding these stages makes the process much easier to navigate.
Before preparing a resource consent application, the first job is to establish exactly why consent is required.
This means comparing the proposed development with the relevant district or regional planning provisions. The assessment identifies which rules are triggered, how the activity is classified and what matters will need to be addressed in the application.
This stage can also influence the design. If a particular part of the proposal creates a planning issue, the project team can consider whether it makes sense to alter the design or address that matter through the consent application.
Once the planning pathway is understood, the application can be put together.
The information required will depend on the project, but an application may include:
plans and a clear description of the proposed development
an assessment against the relevant planning provisions
supporting reports or technical information where required
A straightforward land use proposal may need relatively limited supporting information, while a larger or more complex development could involve several technical disciplines.
The application needs to give the council enough information to understand both what is proposed and the effects it may create.
The Assessment of Environmental Effects, usually referred to as an AEE, is an important part of the application.
It considers the actual and potential environmental effects of the proposal and explains how adverse effects will be avoided, remedied or mitigated where relevant.
The amount of detail should reflect the scale and significance of the effects involved. A small proposal and a major development should not require the same level of assessment.
Depending on the project, the AEE may draw on information from engineers, surveyors, environmental specialists or other technical experts.
Once the application is ready, it is submitted to the relevant consent authority.
Council then checks the application before progressing its assessment. If required information is missing, the application may need to be completed before it can move forward.
Once accepted, the application moves into formal processing.
Application lodged
Council checks the information
Planner assesses the proposal
This is where the planning assessment, AEE, plans and supporting reports are considered together.
During its assessment, the council may decide it needs more information before it can continue processing the application.
This is commonly referred to as a request for further information, or RFI.
An RFI could ask for clarification of part of the proposal, amendments to plans, further explanation of an environmental effect or additional technical information.
It does not automatically mean there is a major problem with the application. The important part is understanding what the council is asking and providing a response that addresses the issue clearly.
Council also considers whether the application should be notified.
Depending on the proposal and the applicable legal tests, the application may be:
Non-notified: Processed without submissions from the public
Limited notified: particular affected people can make submissions
Publicly notified: The wider public has an opportunity to make submissions
Most resource consent applications are processed on a non-notified basis, but the appropriate pathway depends on the circumstances of each proposal.
Where an application is notified, additional stages can be introduced, including submissions and potentially a hearing.
Not every consent goes to a hearing.
Where a hearing is required, it provides an opportunity for the applicant and relevant submitters to present information before a decision is made.
Planning and technical specialists may prepare evidence explaining the proposal, its environmental effects and how it should be assessed under the relevant planning framework.
For more complex or contested applications, this can become a significant part of the overall consent process.
At the end of the assessment, the consent authority decides whether to grant or decline the application.
If resource consent is granted, it will usually come with consent conditions.
These conditions can set requirements around how the approved development or activity is carried out. Depending on the project, they may relate to matters that need to happen:
Before work starts → during development → once work is complete → during ongoing operation
The decision and its conditions should therefore be reviewed carefully before moving into the next stage of the project.
Resource consent is often one approval within a much wider development process.
Building consent or other approvals may still be required, and conditions attached to the resource consent may need to be satisfied at particular stages.
For the project team, the focus now shifts from getting the approval to making sure the approved development is delivered in accordance with it.
The consent pathway depends on the proposal, the planning rules it triggers and the environmental effects that need to be considered.
Civix's planning team can manage the process from the initial planning assessment and application preparation through to council queries, notification where applicable and the final consent decision.
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