Resource consent is permission from a regional council, city or district council to use a resource in some way or to do something that might affect the environment. Consents and their processes are covered by the Resource Management Act 1991. 

Greater Wellington 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.

Some activities are classified as permitted. Permitted activities are allowed without resource consent so long as the activity complies with the conditions specified in the Greater Wellington regional plan rule for that activity.

You can find out more about the activities that require resource consent in our regional plan user guide  or by checking the rules in our regional plans. Activities that need resource consent are classified as controlled, restricted discretionary, discretionary and non-complying.

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