Resource consents

Any use of resources in the Taranaki region requires a resource consent, unless the activity is 'permitted' by a regional plan or the Resource Management Act 1991.

Consents allow the use of natural resources (water, air and land) and Council staff are available to help applicants determine consent requirements.

A resource consent is a type of 'contract' between a resource user and the people of Taranaki which is administered by the Council. Consents have conditions which seek to protect the long-term sustainability of natural resources.

Resource consents are required to:

  • take, use, dam or divert water
  • discharge contaminants onto or into land, air or water
  • erect, use or disturb structures in the coastal marine area
  • erect, use or disturb structures in, on, under or over river or lake beds
  • install groundwater bores or wells

Recently the Council processed over 600 consent applications per year, although few involved formal hearings. The Council places strong emphasis on consultation between the parties involved and informal pre-hearing meetings are held for all notified consent applications. Regional plans now permit activities with insignificant environmental effects, which previously required consents.

Summary of resource consents
Year 94/95 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09
Total granted  392  568  622  433  399  401  355
Notified  133    6   35    5   10   14   16
Non-notified  259  562  585  419  389  387  339
Total current consents 3,548 4,015 4,061 4,206 4,330 4,310 4,334

Compliance monitoring and enforcement is a crucial part of the Council's resource management role. Every activity that has a resource consent is monitored to make sure that the conditions of the consent are met. Most of the costs of consent processing and monitoring are recovered from the consent applicants and holders.

Council Consents staff are available to assist with any queries you may have.

Email:
Phone: 06 765 7127
Fax: 06 765 5097

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