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Assess resource consent application

Council staff check the application to make sure it includes all the information likely to be needed to assess the application. This will include assessing the Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) to make sure it meets the requirements of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).

Your application will follow one of three notification processes:

  • non-notified
  • limited notified
  • publicly notified.

When we review your application, we’ll be able to determine which of these processes is required.

Resource consent applications take 20 working days to process, provided all the necessary information is included and your proposed project does not need to be notified.

Steps | Non-notified resource consents | Limited notification resource consents | Publicly notified resource consents

Steps

We'll assess your application following these steps:

  1. Council assesses application against requirements of the Kāpiti Coast District Plan and other relevant legislation.
  2. Council completes a site visit.
  3. Council requests any missing information
  4. Agent/Designer provides requested information
  5. Council may seek technical advice from specialists.
  6. Council decides if application needs to be notified.

Non-notified consents steps

If your application does not need to be notified, we'll then follow these steps:

  1. Council prepares the planning report
  2. Council peer reviews planning report
  3. Council finalises planning report
  4. Council makes decision on resource consent, and notifies Agent/Owner.
    Result: Assess non-notified consent process ends. Go to Update or Certify stage as needed.

Notified consents steps

If your application does need to be notified, we'll then follow these steps:

  1. Council informs Agent/Owner of decision to notify
  2. Council invoices Agent/Owner
  3. Council serves notice of the application
  4. Submitters lodge submissions on application
  5. Council receives submissions on the application
  6. Council decides on mediation or pre-hearing meeting
  7. Council holds mediation
  8. Council holds pre-hearing meeting
  9. Council provides outcome of mediation/pre-hearing meeting
  10. Council appoints hearing panel/commissioner(s)
  11. Council invoices for costs of hearing.
  12. Council provides evidence to Agent/Owner and Submitter(s)
  13. Council organises hearing
  14. Council holds hearing
  15. Council receives hearing report
  16. Council sends decision to Agent/Owner.
    Result: Assess notified consent process ends. Go to Update or Certify stage as needed.

Non-notified resource consents

Under the legislation you can gain consent for discretionary and non-complying activities without public notifications and hearings, under specific circumstances. Resource consents staff will need to first consider each application. This process is only possible if both:

  • approval of all affected parties has been obtained
  • the effects will be minor.

The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) allows any application to be notified under special circumstances, even if a relevant plan expressly provides that it need not be notified.

If your application is non-notified, resource consent staff will make the decision to grant or refuse consent under their delegated authority. Applicants can object to Council if consent is refused, or if you’re not happy with the conditions. Further information can be obtained from Council regarding non-notified applications and objections.

Limited notified resource consents

Where only certain groups or people are identified by Council as being adversely affected by the proposal, only those people can make a submission on the application. You can see current limited notification resource consents on our website.

Publicly notified resource consents

If your plans will have an effect on the wider community or environment, your application may need to be publicly notified.

This means members of the public will be able to make submissions on your application, and those submissions will be considered when we make a decision on your consent.

You can see current publicly notified resource consents on our website.

When deciding whether a consent should be publicly notified, the Council must consider a number of matters that are set out by the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). 

Sometimes we’re required to publicly notify an application, such as when:

  • the applicant requests public notification
  • the applicant refuses to provide further information or agree to the commissioning of the report
  • there’s a rule or National Environmental Standard (NES) that requires it be publicly notified
  • Council assesses the proposal and decides that the adverse effects are more than minor
  • Council decides there are special circumstances that warrant public notification.

There are also some instances when an application cannot be publicly notified. We can’t notify an application if:

  • There’s a rule or NES that states that an application will not be notified
  • the application is for one or more of the following, but no other, activities:
    • a controlled activity
    • a restricted discretionary, discretionary, or non-complying activity, but only if the activity is a boundary activity. 

If an application is publicly notified a summary notice will be placed in the newspaper and the full details of the application will be made available on the Council’s website. Members of the public will have 20 working days to make a submission on the application.

Updated 12 September 2024