Kawerau District Council manages land use activities in the district. Some uses and developments are permitted as of right, while others require resource consents before they can be established.
The Council’s “planning rules” are described in the Kawerau District Plan. Whether a resource consent is required depends on the nature of the proposed activity.
A land use consent is written approval from the Council to use your land in a way that does not comply with the District Plan or is listed in the District Plan as an activity specifically requiring resource consent. The District Plan is a book of rules for particular activities and developments that the Council is required to have under the Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991.
Why do I need resource consent?
Generally if you require resource consent it’s because your proposal has the potential to have an adverse impact on the environment (which can include people, vegetation, buildings and structures).
How do I apply for land use consent?
There are many different factors to consider when for applying resource (land use) consent. Completing the checklists in the pack will ensure you submit the right information for us to accept your application. If you don’t submit the correct level and detail of information, we can’t process your application.
How long does it take?
The length of time resource consents take to process depends on what level of impact the works will have on the environment, the nature of the application and whether or not you have provided us with sufficient information. We consult the Resource Management Act 1991 to see whether to notify the public about your proposal.
Non-notified applications
If under the provisions of the RMA we don’t need to inform people about your application, and you provide complete and correct information, it will take about one month to process.
Notified applications
We need to inform people about your application if the work is likely to have a negative impact on the environment that is more than minor and/or there are parties who will be adversely affected. This involves placing a public notice in newspapers and sending letters to people who are considered to be affected.
Notification enables people to support or oppose resource consent applications if they feel strongly about them. If you provide a complete application, it will take about three months to process.
How is a decision made?
Council staff evaluate all resource consent applications and make recommendations on whether the application should be notified and whether the application should be granted. If consent is granted, there are often conditions attached to the consent. These recommendations are presented to the Hearings Committee to consider and to make a decision.
Decisions on certain application types are delegated to Council Officers, and these applications do not need to be presented to the Hearings Committee.