Resource consent process

If your project is complex we recommend that you engage with specialists, for example surveying consultants, civil engineers, landscape architects. They understand the process, so can help guide you through. They will have access to an NPDC Relationship Manager who will set up a pre-application meeting with the right people to discuss resource consent requirements and help you submit an application which gets you the best possible outcome.

If your project is less complex, such as changes to the use of your land or subdividing your property, then read through this process. If you’d like further help, contact us and we may offer to set up a pre-application meeting to walk through your project.

It's a good idea to talk to us about your plans before your project starts. This could mean you can plan your project in such a way that a resource consent may not be required.

To further determine what your project needs, have a read through our pages:

• Identifying who is affected
• Fast-track resource consents
• Deemed permitted activities
• Forms and information requirements

You can also get 15 minutes of free advice at one of our service centres to check if your project needs consents or contact us for more information.

Once you have a good understanding of your project’s scope, you’ll need to work out which forms and checklists to use to support your application.

See What to include with your resource consent application’ for the templates and forms you will need.

If you choose, we support engineering plans being lodged at the same time as your resource consent is processed. This can speed the process up.

If you’d like support with this step, contact us.

Send your full resource consent application and supporting documentation to planningconsents@npdc.govt.nz.

What you can expect.

• We will let you know when we receive your application.
• Once we start processing it, we will let you know if it is complete. Sometimes we will need to return your application if it is incomplete.
• We will make a decision on your application within 20 days, or get back to with a request for further information within that time. This 20 day period gets put on hold while any issues are resolved.

The planner processing your application will prepare a notification decision, a planners report (with recommended conditions) assessing the effects of your activity.

The decision, if granted, will include conditions that need to be implemented (in most cases) prior to commencing the activity.

If your project increases the demand on community facilities you will be asked to pay a development contribution.  

If the project includes infrastructure then other Council requirements apply. These are in the Code of Practice and Council bylaws.

Step 4 is to complete and submit engineering design plans for your subdivision (if applicable). Include design plans for roads, vehicle crossings, stormwater, wastewater, water infrastructure (RW - Renee’s Parks reqs) etc.

See What to include with your engineering plans for our templates and forms.

Once these are ready, you can email them to us for approval at planningconsents@npdc.govt.nz with the subdivision reference, the conditions of your subdivision consent that the plans relate to and the lodgement fee. A final invoice for the approval of your plans will be sent to you once they have been approved.

In your email, let us know who we should contact if we need more information. Once we have everything we need, we'll assess your design plans and be in contact with you. We will issue a set of stamped approved engineering plans and will include a schedule of the inspections we will perform on your project.

NB: Engineering plans can be lodged at the same time as your resource consent is processed.

Check your resource consent for conditions, as you may need to address these as part of your engineering plans, Conditions could include:

• specialist assessments or reports which NPDC will certify. I.e. for soil contamination, landscape, cultural, traffic, noise.
• other consents required through Taranaki Regional Council or Heritage NZ
• identify the vested assets that NPDC will take over as an outcome of the future built infrastructure and complete a ‘vested asset schedule’.

If any building consents are required for your project, these should be applied for now. See the Building Consents section of our website for more information.

When you're ready to lodge your s223 application, you will need to request your surveyor to electronically submit your survey plan in Land Information NZ's Landonline. Your surveyor will also need to request for us to certify the plan in Landonline.

Once we've received everything we need for your s223 application, including any outstanding fees, we'll check it and issue the certificate within 10 working days, as long as the survey plan matches the consented plan.

Most subdivisions require physical works to be completed (for example, road construction and vehicle entrance crossings). This step is generally the most time-consuming stage, as construction works are weather-dependent. During this stage we will carry out inspections for assets that will be vested to Council to ensure you are complying with your approved design plans or relevant engineering standards and consent conditions.

We'll do our best to help you to achieve your expected timeframes, so please talk to us about the requirements of the construction stage.

If required the road-naming process (which was initiated at the pre-application meeting) will be well underway. Any new sites will be allocated numbers at this stage.

To request an engineering inspection please contact the development engineer who is looking after your project, with 24 hours’ notice.

Final inspections will be carried out on all completed physical works and each condition will be signed off. We will let you know if there are any remedial works to be completed. Some uncompleted works are able to be bonded with council agreement.

Often the s223 and s224 (RMA) processes can run concurrently.

Once your construction has been completed and you have met your conditions of consent (or have a bond agreement), we will issue a final invoice for all costs incurred for your subdivision and development contributions and any other relevant fees. All fees and contributions must be paid prior to us issuing the s224(c) certificate.

To gain final NPDC approval for your project your surveyor will submit a request for a 224 certificate, along with a full set of QA documentation.

See ‘What to include with your application for final 224 approval’ for our templates and forms.

Once we've received everything we need, we'll issue the s224/223 certificate along with any related consent notices and easement documents. This is dependent on all conditions of your approved consent having been satisfied and all fees paid.

This concludes the Council’s processing of your land development. Your solicitor will arrange for new Records of Title to be issued by Land Information New Zealand.