Executive Summary
This report presents the findings of a study investigating the nature of resource consents lodged with 20 local authorities over a two-month period in 2005.
The study involved looking at the proportion of resource consent applications lodged by 'RMA professionals', the 'general public' and 'other professionals'. Each application was also allocated to a group depending on the type of activity to which the consent was required. The Ministry for the Environment selected participating councils and provided the relevant data.
For the purposes of this study:
- 'RMA professionals' are defined as including planners and surveyors only.
- 'Other professionals' are defined as including other professionals involved with the RMA, such as engineers, architects, landscape architects, lawyers and any other professional not represented in other categories.
- 'General public' is defined as including members of the general public only.
Key findings from this study were as follows:
- Just over a quarter (26%) of all resource consent applications were lodged by 'RMA professionals'; 36% of all consent applications were lodged by the 'general public', and the largest proportion (38%) of all application were lodged by 'other professionals'.
- A significant proportion (81%) of all resource consent applications were made at district/ city councils.
- The most commonly represented resource consent application type across all councils was applications for building or related activities, accounting for 28% of all resource consents. The second most represented was 'landscaping' (19%), followed by 'subdivision' attributing for 18% of all resource consents lodged.
- Of the applications made to district/city councils, the largest proportion (39%) was lodged by 'other professionals', with the 'general public' lodging the second highest proportion (32%), followed by 'RMA professionals' representing 29% of applications made to district/city councils.
- Of the applications made to district/city councils, the most commonly represented RMA professional lodging applications was the surveyor attributing to 71% of all applications lodged by RMA professionals, with planners making up the other 29%.
- Of the applications made to district/city councils, the most commonly represented 'other professional' was the 'other' group (builders, arborists, project managers, investment groups, etc) which contributed a large proportion (60%) of applications lodged by 'other professionals. Architects were the second largest representation (20%) in the 'other professional' category, followed by engineers (18%).
- Of the applications made to regional councils, 'other professionals' attributed the largest representation (61%) of applications lodged. The 'general public' was the second highest group (23%), with 'RMA professionals' attributing the remainder (16%).
- Of the applications made to regional councils, engineers (from the 'other professionals' category) were clearly the highest contributor, making 77% of applications from the 'other professionals' category and representing an overall 42% of all applications made to regional councils. Planners lodged the majority of resource consents in the 'RMA professionals' category (78%), but overall only 13% of all applications made to regional council were made by planners.
