Introduction
The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) sets out a way for councils to make decisions about activities that might affect the environment. One of the things councils decide is whether to grant a resource consent for an activity that might affect the environment.
The first decision a council makes is whether the application can be processed without public notification or limited notification. If the council decides an application need not be publicly notified, it might still serve notice of the application on people it considers may be adversely affected by the proposed activity.
People identified by the council as being adversely affected by a proposed activity are known as affected persons.This guide explains:
- who an affected person is, and what being an affected person means
- what 'giving written approval' means
- what you need to do when you're asked for written approval
- what happens if you do give written approval
- what happens if you don't give written approval.
It also explains some technical terms that you might hear, like 'conditional approval' and 'side agreements'.
