The pre-application service is particularly useful in ensuring that you provide all the information you need with your resource consent application.
Identifying up front what you need to gather in relation to this will help avoid possible delays in obtaining missing information further down the track.
How to request pre-application service
You can request a pre-application service by filling out the form provided below and emailing it to applications@waidc.govt.nz.
Request for Pre Application Advice form
Provide us with as much information as you can about your project on this form as this will help us to tailor our advice to what you need. For example:
- A description of your proposal and details about what you want to do (for example, don’t just state ‘subdivide my land’).
- A scheme plan.
- Specific questions - not generic statements like ‘subdivide my land' . Think about the specific matters you need Council to confirm or provide advice on.
Cost
Note that the lodgement fee for a resource consent pre-application service is $380.00.
This service includes one hour at no cost for work carried out by a Planner and up to two technical experts. Any additional time over and above the one hour free time will be charged at the relevant officer's hourly rate in accordance with the fees and charges schedule. It is possible that the charges for your pre-application request could exceed the lodgment fee paid.
The costs related to this service include but are not limited to administration, research, meeting time, writing and distribution of notes and any additional meetings.
How you will benefit
Using the resource consents pre-application service means you save time and money in the long run by:
- Helping you understand if you need a consent
- Helping you understand what information Council would expect to receive as part of a resource consent application
- Identifying any potential issues with your proposal and enabling you to address these issues before you finalise your designs/proposal
- Reducing the likelihood of you being asked for more information
- Providing an opportunity for you to work with Council to produce good quality outcomes and build relationships.
You can expect to receive a variety of advice and feedback through our resource consents pre-application service, depending on what you need to know. This may include (but not be limited to):
- Information on infrastructure and services in relation to your proposal
- Advice on development contributions
- Advice on notification matters (when possible)
- Advice on the types of resource consents that may be required for projects and any requirements of the National Environmental Standards (NES) under the RMA which might apply to your proposal
- Advice on the level of information required to ensure that applications are of an acceptable standard (i.e. containing information that is compatible with the complexity and scale of the application).
Not provided as part of this service
- Confirmation of all the information you will need to provide with a resource consent application.
- Confirmation of who may be affected by the proposal and/or whether the application will be notified.
- Identifying all District Plan non-compliances associated with a proposed activity.
- Building consent enquiries – please direct these to Council's Building Team: building.applications@waidc.govt.nz
- Any public network enquiries (i.e., roading or three waters enquiries). For these, please contact our Call Centre on 0800 492 452 to initiate discussions with these departments.
- Any enquiries regarding public reserves (whether existing or proposed)
- To understand whether you need to pay development contributions, please refer to the information here.
If your application requires input from our Roading, Reserves and/or Watercare Teams, you’ll need to get information from the relevant team first. The easiest way is to do this, is to phone our Call Centre on 0800 492 452 and explain who you need to talk to.
It would be helpful if you provide copies of any advice you receive from these departments with your application for pre-application advice.
If you need further help putting together an application or understanding the consenting process, please engage the services of a professional planning consultant or surveyor to assist with your application.