Notification of Resource Consent Applications

When are applications not notified?

Councils have a discretion to decide whether or not to publicly notify an application for a resource consent (section 95A(1)). In some circumstances, the council must or must not notify an application.

The council must publicly notify an application if:

• The activity will have, or is likely to have, adverse effects on the environment that are more than minor; or
• The applicant requests public notification; or
• A rule in a regional or district plan or proposed plan requires public notification; or
• A national environmental standard requires public notification

In most cases a council must not publicly notify an application if:

• A rule in a regional or district plan or proposed plan precludes public notification; or
• A national environmental standard precludes public notification.

The council may still publicly notify an application if it considers that 'special circumstances' exist which make notification desirable, and must publicly notify an application if the applicant requests notification (section 95A(4)).