In order to decide whether or not to lodge a submission, you will need to assess a resource consent application, to determine the effects of the proposed activity on the environment and your interests.
Ensure that you have the full application
Before assessing a resource consent application, ensure that you have access to the full documentation including description of the activity, plans of the site and the assessment of environmental effects (AEE).
Check the council's file
The local authority will have a file on the site. Ask to view the file so that you can identify any additional relevant information, including the history of the site.
Visit the site
Where possible, visit the site with a copy of the application and plans. You should ask the applicant for permission before entering onto private land. A site visit will enable you to better assess how you will be affected by the impacts of the proposal.
Consult with others
Arrange to meet with other affected parties to discuss the application. They may have similar concerns to yours and be able to provide different perspectives on the application. Explore the possibility of lodging a joint submission and pooling resources to obtain professional assistance. If possible, discuss the application with relevant professionals (such as a planner, ecologist or landscape architect) who can provide initial guidance on the adequacy of the application and potential impacts of the proposal.
Check that effects have been identified and addressed
From your local knowledge, site visit, consultation and other information gathering, check that the effects of concern to you have been adequately identified and assessed. This may include impacts on the neighbourhood and wider community, landscape and visual effects, effects on ecosystems and recreational and cultural resources, and impacts of discharges of contaminants and hazards.
Identify any modifications to mitigate effects
If the proposed activity is likely to have significant adverse effects, identify how the application could be modified to reduce these effects to acceptable levels. Such modifications can form the basis of your negotiations with the applicant.
What are the relevant legal provisions?
Where can you get further information?
Auditing Assessments of Environmental Effects: A Good Practice Guide, Ministry for the Environment, 1999.
