Notification

When a resource consent application is received by Council, we assess its environmental effects.

If the environmental effects are more than minor, the resource consent will require public notification under Section 95A of the Resource Management Act.

Only some consent applications are notified. Your application may not be notified if we are satisfied that your activity will have only minor effects on the environment and all potentially affected parties have provided written approval. Your application will be processed faster and cost less if you gain approval from all parties that may be affected by your proposal. 

There are two forms of notification, Limited Notified and (publicly or fully) Notified. 

Limited notified

Limited notification applies when the effects of your activity are considered to be generally minor, but you have not obtained written approval from potentially affected parties. We will send a letter to all potentially affected parties advising them of your application and any activities or likely effects associated with your proposal which may arise if your proposal was granted. Those identified parties can then make a submission on the proposal. If submissions and/or issues can't be resolved then the application will need to go to hearing.

Notified

Full Notification occurs when we believe the effects of your activity will be more than minor. A notice will be placed on our website, in the public notices section of the local newspaper where your proposed activity will happen and a sign will be placed at the site (or the nearest public access point to the site) of the proposed activity.

The notice and sign will say who the applicant is, what consents they have applied for and where they propose to carry out the activity

Additionally, we will send a letter to all potentially affected parties advising them directly of your application. 

At the close of submissions, the application may go to a pre-hearing meeting or a hearing to determine the application.  If no submissions are received the consent may not need a hearing and the consent can be processed and the decision issued.