Resource Consent FAQs

You will need to make a formal submission in writing (email is fine) to the consent advisor who will arrange approval from the consent manager.

The consent manager has discretion to grant section 124 (RMA 1991) protection through to three months before the expiry date.

If the application is received less than three months before the expiry date then it will expire and an interim consent will be required. This will allow you to carry out the activity until such time as the replacement application is processed.

We have 20 working days to process a resource consent. If a consent application includes all the relevant details for the activity (which vary depending on the scale and nature of the activity), we will be able to process within 20 working days.

Where any information is missing from the application, meaning we cannot undertake our assessments, we will ask for additional information. At this point the clock will stop until the completed information request is returned to us.

The way your consent application proceeds depends on the scale and significance of the effects of your proposal, whether you have written approval from all the people the Council considers will be adversely affected, and the type of consent you are applying for. 

For more information, see our page:

How to apply

No. Once you’ve sent your application to the council, it becomes public information. The council might agree to keep some material private if it is commercially sensitive. You will need to identify that material clearly. Otherwise, the council will provide copies of any application to anyone who asks for it, and new applications are published on our website.

(Excerpt from page 12 of the Ministry for the Environment's guide: An everyday guide to the Resource Management Act 2.1)

With the exception of bore permits, Resource consents are not tied to a property. They are legal documents owned by an individual or entity.

Yes, as resource consents are held by private persons or legal entities, rather than being attached to the title of a property, transfers are not automatic and are typically handled by solicitors as part of the settlement process but are sometimes overlooked.

Find the Application Form - Transfer of Resource Consent on our page: 

Now you have a consent

Please refer to Rule 28 of Regional Coastal Environment Plan (RCEP) or Rule 37 (Chapter 6, pages 161-163) of our Regional Resource Management Plan (RRMP) for a list of the conditions. If any of the conditions cannot be met then a resource consent is required.

Because there are a number of technical factors involved, we recommend you engage a wastewater provider to assess whether a consent is required. They will often submit an application on your behalf if one is required. We also recommend that if you do find that the system is permitted, that you consider applying for a certificate of compliance. This gives you certainty that the activity is permitted under the current rules and is often a requirement from the Territorial Authority when obtaining a building consent.

This is your pump’s maximum pumping capacity. If you don’t know what the capacity is, you can determine it using a simple bucket test method.

Please refer to the guidance on our page: Irrigation Water Management.

Bore Permits do not expire but they must be exercised within two years of being granted otherwise they lapse and a new one must be applied for.

Depending on the activity being applied for and the location of the activity, the Regional Policy Statement, Regional Resource Management Plan (RRMP) and Regional Coastal Environment Plan (RCEP) have various objectives and policies which help the reporting planner make a decision about consent duration. Part 8.2.4 of the RRMP states that resource consents are generally granted for a period of 20-35 years, however, a number of exceptions apply.  

Decision making of resource consent applications, including the duration of the resource consents, rely on the reporting officer to use the information provided about potential environmental effects and make an assessment of the activity against relevant legislation and policies. The duration of a resource consent is often used as a method to address uncertainty about adverse effects for consents and the sensitivity of the receiving environment over time.

As such, if you wish to apply for a consent for the maximum duration, it is key to have ensured that the effects of the activity have been appropriately assessed and, if necessary, mitigated.

The quickest way to obtain a copy of each consent is directly from Council’s mapping website here.

Using the search bar in the top left of the screen, enter the Consent ID (or other information) and select from the drop down. This will zoom over to the property and provide a link to a PDF of the legal document in the Consent information tab on the right “document link ”.

If the dam is greater than 20,000 metres cubed AND higher than 4 metres, then the applicant needs a building consent from the Waikato Regional Council. They will then request a PIM (property information memorandum) from Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

Find further information on our page: Dam safety regulations and policy

Bore Permits do not expire but they must be exercised within two years of being granted otherwise they lapse and a new one must be applied for.

Some district and city councils require a Certificate of Compliance to confirm that an activity meets the conditions of a permitted activity. Refer to our page how to apply for more information.  

The area below mean high water springs, extending 12 nautical miles off the Hawke's Bay coastline (see illustration as example of general location).