Applying for a Resource Consent

Identifying what criteria will apply to assessing your proposal

Once you have identified the type of resource consent you require, you will need to identify what criteria will be used to assess your application:

• If your application is for a controlled or restricted discretionary activity, the plan will state the matters over which the council has reserved its control or discretion. There may also be matters over which control or discretion is reserved in national environmental standards. You will need to check if there are any national environmental standards which may be relevant to the activity. You only need to address relevant matters identified in the plan or in national environmental standards in your application and assessment of effects.
  
  
• If your application is for a discretionary activity, the council will assess your proposal against the relevant objectives and policies of the plan. This will be a much broader inquiry and you will need to address all the potential environmental effects of your proposal.
  
  
• If your application is for a non-complying activity, consent can only be granted if you can demonstrate that the effects are no more than minor or that the proposal is not contrary to the objectives and policies of the relevant plan. This is a much tougher test to meet and will require you to undertake a more rigorous assessment of the effects of your proposal.