Getting involved in the resource consent process
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Plain English explanation of RMA terms
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Text of the Resource Management Act 1991
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Some activities can be done as of right, but others need permission from the local council. This permission is called a resource consent. For an overview of the Resource Management Act (RMA) and the resource consent process see Getting in on the Act.
In summary, the opportunities for getting involved in the resource consent process are:
1. An applicant may approach you before lodging their application for resource consent with the council. While consultation is not a mandatory requirement under the RMA it can be useful for an applicant to talk to interested or potentially affected parties when preparing their application. See Consultation for Resource Consent Applicants.
Stage 1: The applicant prepares their application (information gathering)
2. You may be approached by someone who‘s asking for your written approval. This means that either the resource consent applicant or the council thinks you could be affected by the proposal. See Your Rights as an ‘Affected Person‘.
Stage 2: The council considers the application
3. The council determines the scale and effects of the proposed activity and any affected parties. It decides whether the application should be publicly notified, notified only to affected parties (limited notification) or non-notified.
4. If the application is publicly notified then anybody can make a submission on the application.
The council might decide to notify the application only to those persons it considers to be affected. If you are notified by the council you can make a submission on the application. See Making a Submission on a Resource Consent.
5. The council may hold a hearing if you or another submitter ask to be heard in support of your submission in your written submission. See Appearing at a Resource Consent hearing. A pre-hearing meeting may also be held to sort out issues before a formal hearing.
Stage 3: The decision
6. The council considers all the submissions it receives, together with the application, and makes a decision about whether or not to grant the resource consent.
7. If the consent is approved, it will often have conditions on the way the activity must be carried out. If you don‘t like the decision, or the conditions, you can object to the council or appeal to the Environment Court. See Resolving Resource Management Act Concerns and Your Guide to the Environment Court.
8. Work on the proposed activity can start after the 15-day appeals period if no appeals have been lodged, or after any appeals have been settled.
You can also view a simplified visual diagram of this process:
Last updated: 16 January 2009
