Incorporated societies
Members of a public group that is an incorporated society cannot be made personally liable for costs. It is advisable to become incorporated before lodging your initial submission so there is a consistent entity for all parties to deal with. However, the Resource Management Amendment Act (No 4) 1996 provided that where a group becomes incorporated during the process it is to be treated as the successor of the unincorporated group, provided it is composed of substantially the same members. Your group may still need to prove that the incorporated society is its proper successor.
You can contact the Ministry of Commerce (Commercial Affairs Division) for a guide to the Incorporated Societies Act 1908. You will need a minimum of 15 members and the process of incorporation can take between one and two weeks.
