Consent process

Updated 1 July 2021 1:29pm

Here you will find information relating to:

Initial assessment of your application back to top

Once your application is lodged with your initial fixed application fee, we’ll check it to make sure it’s complete. We will return it within five working days if:

It isn’t signed or dated
It doesn’t include all information requested in the required application forms an adequate assessment of environmental effects
It doesn’t include the required fee
You haven’t applied for all the consents you need.

How your application will be processed back to top

Once your application is accepted, your application will be processed in one of the following three ways:

Non-notified
Limited notified consents
Publicly notified consents

Non-notified consents are for activities which have only minor effects on the environment and where written approval has been obtained from any person considered to the affected by your proposed activity.

Limited notified consents are for activities where the written approval of any person considered to the affected by your proposed activity has not been obtained.

Publicly notified consents are for activities which have more than minor effects on the environment.

Timeframes back to top

Non-notified consents are required to be processed within 20 working days. Limited notified and publicly notified consents take longer and there are various timeframes depending on where the consent process is at.

We can put consent applications on hold if we need to ask an applicant:

for more information
to get written approval from affected parties
to apply for additional resource consents

The processing days are not counted when applications are on hold.

We sometimes extend the time limits (under section 37 of the Resource Management Act). If more than double the statutory time limit is needed, both the applicant and GWRC must agree.

To read more about processing timeframes download our Resource Consent Timeframes brochure.