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What does the resource consent process involve?

If you can’t meet all of the rules and standards a resource consent process is what you need to go through to get permission to locate your business in a particular place or to operate in a particular way. 

There is no other process for this and it is not something you want to leave to the end of setting up your business.  Resource consents do take time and money and you need to build this into your timeline for establishing your business.  Otherwise you may find yourself held up in getting down to work.

Resource consent applications and processes can be simple or complex.  It depends on what your business is and what the environment is like where you want to locate your business.  Resource consents are considered on a case-by-case basis.  There is no one size fits all. 

If you can meet some of the standards in a zone it may be easier to get a consent than if you can meet none of the standards.  Also, if you have the support of your neighbours it may be easier to get a consent.

Getting familiar with the resource consent process

There are plenty of resources that you can access to become familiar with the resource consent process.  The ‘help’ section provides links and suggestions of where to get help.

The bottom-line – what will it cost and how long will it take?

Councils will determine whether your application will be notified or non-notified.  Councils are expected to process non-notified applications in roughly a month and publicly notified applications in about four months. 

Councils will normally charge you an administration fee for considering your application, and they may also charge for ongoing monitoring. 

You should talk to council staff to find out what the charges are, including whether you need to pay a deposit when you lodge your application form and how the charges are calculated.  Each council must publish a schedule of fees and these can generally be found on the council’s website – if not, ask for a copy from the council.  Do not assume that the application fee will cover all the costs associated with getting a resource consent. 

The two-yearly “Survey of Local Authorities” that the Ministry for the Environment undertakes provides some average figures for the charges to applicants for resource consent applications.

You can help make sure your consent application is processed quickly and for less cost, if you:

  • talk to the council staff early on about what you want to do
  • talk to people who you or the council thinks might be affected by your proposal
  • give the council a well-prepared assessment of environmental effects
  • respond quickly to requests for further information (the council can decline applications if there is insufficient information to process it).

What is an assessment of environmental effects?

An assessment of environmental effects (AEE) is the cornerstone of any resource consent application. 

An AEE is the process of preparing a written statement identifying the effects of your proposed activity or activities on the environment. If the effects are going to be negative, it is also the process of identifying how these can be avoided or reduced.  

Every resource consent application must have an AEE.   It is not okay to just say a proposal has ‘no effects’.  Every proposal will have some type of effect that will need to be addressed.

For more information about preparing an AEE see A Guide to Preparing a Basic Assessment of Environmental Effects.

Sharing your proposal with others can help

Other businesses have found that they have improved their relationship with the local community through consultation about their business proposals – particularly if they need a resource consent.

You may even find you get some good ideas back from the community about your business that you may not have considered and it can help your relationship with the community further down the track if you want to grow your business.

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