What is the Consent Process
New Applications List
Notified or non-Notified?
Putting a consent on hold
1. When you have filled in your application (how to apply) and lodged it with your deposit, our staff will check it to make sure it is complete.
2. An application must be ‘received’ by HBRC within the first 10 working days of being lodged. ‘Received’ means our consents planners have viewed the application and consider it has enough information to begin processing. If any important information is missing, we will return the application within that time.
3. The time it takes to process a consent application varies, but if all the information required is received and public or limited notification is not required, a decision will be issued within 20 working days after receiving your application and deposit.
New applications list
New applications for consents received with the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council in the preceding week are made available here.
Recent decisions made are available here.
Note: These are updated each week, but if no new applications or decisions are made, then the previous week will stay active online.
Notified or non-notified?
Once your application is accepted, your application will be processed as one of 3 types:
• Non-notified – for activities which have less than minor adverse effects on the environment or any people, or where written approval has been obtained from any person considered to be affected by the proposed activity. These applications do not require notification of any sort, and will be processed within 20 working days (assuming no further information is required).
• Limited notified – for activities which will have at least minor adverse effects, and the written approval of any person considered to be affected by your proposed activity has not been obtained. The unconditional written approval of all affected parties will need to be provided by the applicant, or the application will be notified to those parties who may make a submission. If submissions are received pre-hearing meeting/s and a hearing may be required.
• Publicly notified – for activities which have more than minor adverse effects on the environment. Once notified, anyone can make a submission on the application and, if submissions are received, pre-hearing meeting/s and a hearing may be required.
We recommend that, even if you expect that your application will be processed as a non-notified application, you talk with people who may be affected by your application.
Putting a consent on hold
Consent applications can be put on hold, and therefore the processing is delayed for the following reasons:
• We ask an applicant to provide further information to enable us to determine the scale of the adverse effects of the activity.
• We may require written approval from affected parties.
• Applications for extra resource consents are required to be lodged.
• At the applicant’s request.
Extra information
An Everyday Guide to the Resource Management Act (RMA) is a set of booklets available from the Ministry for the Environment to help you with everyday matters under the RMA. The booklets explain specific RMA processes, your rights, and how you can get involved.
