Pre-application service

We are experiencing heavy demand for consenting services and so, for now, we will only be providing written advice to customers unless Council deem it necessary to meet beforehand. Any request by an Applicant (or their Agent) for a pre-application meeting will be considered once an application and supporting documentation is received and we have a better understanding of the level/scale of advice needed.

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 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.

What you need to provide

In terms of what should be provided with an application for pre-application advice, please provide as a minimum, the following information:

• A description of the proposal (don’t just state “subdivision of land” for example).
• A scheme plan
• A list of District Plan non-compliances associated with the proposed activity that you have identified
• Specific questions (not generic such as “can I subdivide my land”). Think about the specific matters you need Council to confirm/provide advice on.

If this information isn’t provided upfront, we may need to request this information which could result in a delay in providing advice.

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.

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

The lodgement fee for a resource consent pre-application service can be found here.

The service can be carried out by various staff and will be a 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 lodgement fee paid.

The costs related to this service include but are not limited to administration, research, meeting time (if required), writing and distribution of notes and any additional meetings(if required).