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Resource Consent Analysis

Executive Summary

Introduction

Methodology

Summary of Resource Consent Applications

Conclusions

Results Matrix 1: Resource Consent Applications at District/City Councils

Results Matrix 2: Resource Consent Applications at Regional Councils

Summary of Resource Consent Applications

Results data for all resource consents applications lodged with the 20 councils over the study period can be viewed in 'Matrix 1' (District/City Councils, page 16) and 'Matrix 2' (Regional Councils, page 18).

Key findings are summarised and presented under the following three headings:

1. All councils
2. Regional councils
3. District/city councils.

Relevant proportions are provided where appropriate, and bar graphs are provided to graphically represent and support key findings.

All councils

In total, 3046 resource consent applications were lodged across all 20 respondent councils over a two-month period. Of this total:

• 583 (19%) of applications were lodged at regional councils
• 2463 (81%) of applications were lodged at district/city councils
• 803 (26%) of applicants were made by 'RMA professionals'
• 1087 (36%) of applicants were made by the 'general public'
• 1156 (38%) of applicants were made by 'other professionals'.

Figure 1: Summary of resource consents lodged across all 20 councils

Figure 1 illustrates the differences between the three applicant categories, with 'Other Professionals' lodging the largest proportion of resource consents across all councils.

Breakdown of applicants

RMA professionals

803 (26%) of all applicants were represented by 'RMA professionals'.

The most commonly represented RMA professional across all councils is the surveyor, representing approximately 65% of all applications lodged by 'RMA professionals'. Planners represented the remainder of RMA professional applications, attributing 35% of all applications lodged by 'RMA professionals'.

Other professionals

1156 (38%) of all applicants were represented by 'other professionals'.

Engineers represented 36% of applications lodged by 'other professionals', architects 14%, and lawyers and landscape architects both less than 1%.

Notably, the highest proportion of applications represented (48%) were lodged by 'other professionals' less typically associated with the RMA, including: builders, real estate companies, councils, investment groups, advertising companies, project management companies; electricians, signwriters, farm consultants and arborists.

A large proportion of applications from the 'other professionals' category were lodged by agencies or individuals which did not fit into the other generic sub-categories, such as engineers or architects. Within this 'other' subcategory, 'builders' or 'building organisations' contributed to a large percentage of applications lodged, which may provide an explanation for the high occurrence of applications made related to building within the 'other' subcategory.

General public

1087 (36%) of all applicants were represented by the 'general public'.

Type of consent application

The most commonly represented application type across all councils related to the construction, alteration, addition, and relocation etc of a building. Applications of this nature represented approximately 28% of all applications.

The second most commonly represented application type across all councils related to 'landscaping', representing 19% of all applications.

Thirdly, 'subdivision' applications represented approximately 18% of all applications.

All other application types across the 20 councils were represented by less than 5% each of the total applications, including:

• general activity (5%)
• earthworks (4%)
• property works (3%)
• waste water discharge (3%)
• bore (3%)
• coastal activity (3%)
• signs (2%)
• stormwater discharge (2%)
• water take (2%)
• certificates of compliance (2%)
• water works (2%)
• liquor licenses (1%)
• infrastructure (1%)
• air discharge, land discharge and gravel extraction (all less than 1%).

For further details on each resource consent category, please refer to the matrix 'note' section at the end of the document.

District/city councils

As indicated above, 81% of all resource applications lodged across all councils were made at district/city councils. The following information provides a summary of these applications, in particular the proportions of applications made by 'RMA professionals', 'other professionals', and the 'general public', and the relative proportions of each consent type.

Figure 2: Summary of resource consents lodged at district/city councils

Figure 2 illustrates the differences between the three applicant categories, and shows the general public to have lodged the largest proportion of resource consent applications at district/city councils.

Breakdown of applicants

Of the applications made at district/city councils, 29% of applicants were 'RMA professionals', 32% of applicants were 'other professionals', and 38% of applicants were members of the 'general public'. Table 1 below shows a detailed breakdown of these applicants. [The percentages provided in Table 1 correspond to the percentage of each applicant category within its respective subgrouping, not the total sample.]

Table 1: Applications lodged at district/city councils

RMA professionals

The most commonly represented RMA professional is the surveyor, representing approximately 71% of all applications lodged by RMA professionals at district/city councils. Planners were the second most represented RMA professional, represented by the remaining 29% of all applications lodged by RMA professionals at the district/city level.

Other professionals

Within this category, 20% of applications were made by architects, 18% by engineers and lawyers and landscape architects each making less than 5%.

Notably, the highest proportion of applications at the district/city level (60%) was lodged by 'other professionals'. These are professionals that are less typically associated with making development applications under the RMA, and include builders and building agencies, real estate agencies, project management agencies, arborists, local authorities/councils, investment groups, advertising companies, electricians, signwriters and farm consultants.

A large proportion of the 'other professionals' applicants were agencies or individuals which did not fit into the other generic subcategories, such as engineers or architects. Within this 'other' subcategory, 'builders' or 'building organisations' contributed to a large percentage of applications lodged, corresponding with the high occurrence of applications made related to building within the 'other' subcategory. This may indicate that many applications involving building work are relatively straight forward and need not require the services of an RMA professional.

General public

Members of the general public represented the largest sub-group of applicants at the district/city level with 954 (39%).

Type of consent application

All the applications lodged at district/city councils fall within one of 10 application types/ categories.

The most commonly represented consent application type at the district/city councils was applications relating to the construction, alteration, addition, and relocation etc of a building. Applications of this nature represented approximately 34% of all applications.

Applications involving landscaping were the second most commonly represented application type, representing 23% of all applications.

The third most common consent type included subdivision, representing approximately 22% of all applications.

The remaining consent categories were represented by smaller numbers of applications, including:

• general activity - 6%
• property works - 4%
• signs - 3%
• certificates of compliance - 3%
• earthworks - 2%
• liquor licenses - 1%
• infrastructure - 1%.

Regional councils

As indicated above, 19% of all resource applications within the study sample were lodged with regional councils. The following information provides a summary of these applications and in particular the proportions of applications made by 'RMA professionals', 'other professionals', and the 'general public', and the relative proportions of each consent type.

Figure 3: Summary of resource consents lodged at regional councils

Figure 3 illustrates the difference between the three applicant categories, which shows 'other professionals' to have lodged the largest proportion of resource consents at regional councils.

Breakdown of applicants

Of the applications made at regional councils, 16% of applicants were 'RMA professionals', 23% of applicants were members of the 'general public' and 61% of applicants were 'other professionals'. [The percentages provided in Table 1 correspond to the percentage of each applicant category within its respective subgrouping, not the total sample.]

Table 2: Applications lodged at regional councils

RMA professionals

The most commonly represented RMA professional is the planner, representing approximately 73% of applications lodged by RMA professionals at regional councils.

Surveyors were the second most represented RMA professional, representing the remaining 21% of applications lodged by RMA professionals at regional councils.

Other professionals

Of the 'other professionals' involved with the RMA, engineers represented the majority of applications lodged by 'other professionals' at the regional level, with 77% of applications.

Notably, the second most commonly represented subgroup of applicants at the regional level (21%) were lodged by 'others' less typically associated with the RMA, including: builders, regional and local authorities, development and investment agencies, and infrastructure and industry organisations.

Architects and lawyers each represented less than 1% of applications lodged by 'other professionals' at the regional level.

General public

Members of the general public represented the second largest subgroup of applicants at the regional level with 133 applications (23%).

Type of consent application

All the applications lodged at regional councils fall within one of 10 application types/ categories.

The most commonly represented application type at the regional level included applications for 'waste water discharge' and 'coastal activities', each representing 16% of all applications made at the regional level, followed closely by applications relating to 'bore' activity at 15% of all applications made at the regional level.

Applications relating to 'stormwater discharges' and 'earthworks' each represented approximately 11% of all applications, followed by applications relating to 'water take' (10%), and 'water works' (8%).

The remaining consent categories were represented by smaller numbers of applications, including:

• air discharge - 5%
• land discharge - 5%
• gravel extraction - 3%.