Processing Applications - Subdivision, Land Use and Permitted Boundary Activities
From 3 March 2015 the government has put in place expanded requirements for the information that must be provided to Councils with resource consent applications.
These can be found in Schedule 4 to the Resource Management Act (95 KB) .
The Council now has to return incomplete applications.
The government’s intention is that Council only accept complete applications – so as to avoid delays in the long-run.
Please therefore ensure that all required aspects are fully addressed in your application.
The following is an outline of the procedure the Council will follow in processing your subdivision or land use application.
Initial Assessment for Completeness
This is a check for application completeness, i.e. has Resource Consent application form 9 been filled in, have all the matters required to be addressed (Schedule 4 (95 KB)) been addressed, have five copies been submitted, has the fee deposit been paid?
Note: Five copies are required for subdivisions and 'larger' landuse consent applications. For 'smaller' ones contact the Duty Planner
If the answer is NO to any of the questions, Council will return the application to you with reasons outlining why it is not complete.
Council has to make a decision on completeness of your application within 10 working days of receiving it.
If you re-lodge the application with all the required information the Council has to treat it as if it were a new application.
Note that for Controlled and Restricted Discretionary applications the matters to be addressed are those to which Council has reserved its control and restricted its discretion respectively, as set out in the District Plan.
Initial Assessment - of Content
Once the application has been accepted as being Complete it will be checked for Content i.e. has enough information been supplied to allow everyone to understand exactly what you are proposing and what effects it will have?
If necessary, further information will be requested from you.
If you receive a further information request within 20 working days (10 working days for qualifying controlled land use activities) of lodging the application with Council the processing of the application will be suspended until the further information is received.
You have 15 working days to respond with the further information (or advise Council in writing that the information will be provided). If the information is not received within the 15 working days (or other date as advised), Council must continue to process the application. If it does not have sufficient information this is likely to mean consent will be refused.
The Council can make additional requests for further information, but must continue to process the application.
If the application is being processed through the notified or limited notified process you (as applicant) can ask for processing to be suspended.
However – the total period an application can be suspended (for all reasons) is 130 working days.
After that Council will have to return the application to you or continue to process it. Again, if Council has insufficient information, this is likely to mean consent will be refused.