Need a resource consent?

Here you will find information relating to: 

• Types of resource consents
• Common permitted activities
• Pre-application advice

Types of resource consents   back to top

GWRC deals with four types of resource consent:

• Land use consents: for activities that involve constructing or altering bores, using or disturbing a river bed or lake bed, or soil disturbances
• Discharge permits: for activities that involve discharging a contaminant or water into water, discharging a contaminant onto or into land, or into air
• Water permits: for activities that involve taking, damming or diverting water
• Coastal permits: for activities in the coastal marine area.

City and district councils deal with consents for other activities, such as subdivision consents and building permits.

Activities that need resource consent are classified as controlled, restricted discretionary, discretionary and non-complying in our regional plans. Our regional plan user guide provides helpful guidance for you to see if your activity requires a resource consent.

If you are unsure about whether your activity needs resource consent, please contact us.

 

Common permitted activities     back to top

Some activities are classified as permitted. Permitted activities are allowed without resource consent provided that conditions specified in the GWRC regional plan rule for that activity are complied with.

Some common permitted activities are:

• Taking small quantities of water from rivers, streams, and groundwater aquifers
• Constructing small dams
• Extracting small quantities of sand and gravel from rivers and streams
• Maintaining drains 
• Constructing small bridges
• Maintaining, repairing, replacing, and extending existing structures in rivers and streams
• Land based application of agrichemical sprays and powders  
• Aerobically treated on site sewage disposal
• On site sewage treatment and disposal
• Discharges from domestic refuse and composting to land
• Discharges from offal pits and silage to land
• Application of fertiliser to land

All permitted activities can be found by checking the rules in our regional plans.

If you are unsure about whether your activity is considered a permitted activity, please contact us.

 

Pre-application advice back to top

If you need a resource a resource consent, we strongly recommend that you talk to us before you apply. Early discussions with us will help you make informed decisions about your application and avoid unnecessary processing delays. We can make sure you apply for the right type of consent and provide enough information for us to process your application.

We offer up to 1 hour of free pre-application advice at our offices. We also offer this service over the telephone or via e-mail if you unable to make it to our offices. 

To ensure you get the maximum benefit from your pre-application meeting, it is important that you:

• Let us know what works/activity you would like to discuss in advance
• Provide us with as much detailed information as possible
• Bring any professional advisors (such as planners or engineers) that may be assisting you to the meeting 

If you would like to arrange a meeting call us on 0800 496734 or e-mail info@gw.govt.nz.