Resource Consent Fees – What You Need to Know

Why We Charge Fees

Processing resource consents and related approvals takes time and expertise. Fees help cover the cost of assessing your application, preparing decisions, and meeting legal requirements under the Resource Management Act.  Without fees, the cost would shift to general rates, meaning all ratepayers would subsidise private applications. Fees ensure that those who benefit pay for the service.

Important: Resource consent fees can vary and sometimes be higher than people expect, especially for complex applications. It’s important to understand the process and potential costs before you apply, so you can make an informed decision.

How Fees Work

  • Deposit Required: Most applications require an initial deposit when you lodge your application.  If you are applying for more than one resource consent (for example a land use consent and a subdivision consent), you need to pay the deposit for each application.
  • Final Cost: The total fee depends on the complexity of your application and the time involved. If the actual cost is less than your deposit, we’ll refund the difference. If it’s more, we’ll send you an additional invoice(s).
  • Monthly Invoices: Additional charges beyond the initial deposit are invoiced monthly.

Payment of Deposit

Processing of your resource consent application will not start until the required deposit has been paid. The deposit helps cover the initial costs of assessing your application. Once payment is received, your application is ‘formally received’ and will be allocated to a planner for processing.

If your application is notified or a hearing is required, processing will not continue until the deposits for those milestones has been paid.

What Can Affect the Total Cost

  • Type of application.
  • Scale and complexity of your proposal.
  • What environmental matters need to be considered.
  • Whether your application is notified (publicly advertised) or non-notified.
  • Whether specialist reports are required (e.g., traffic, flooding, ecology).
  • Whether a hearing is required.
  • External costs like advertising or independent commissioners.

How Can Costs be Minimised?

Resource consent fees can add up, especially if extra time is needed to request missing information or clarify details. You can help keep Council fees down by:

Prepare a complete application: Include all required information, plans, and supporting documents from the start.

Provide a thorough assessment: Make sure your application addresses the District Plan rules and any relevant legislation. A clear Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) reduces the need for follow-up.

Respond promptly to requests: If we need further information, quick responses help avoid delays and extra processing time.

Seek advice early: Talk to Council planners before lodging your application. Pre-application meetings can identify issues and save time later.

Use qualified professionals: Engaging experienced planners or specialists can help ensure your application meets requirements the first time.

Full Fee Schedule

For detailed fees and hourly rates, see our Fees and Charges Schedule.

Common Items on Your Invoice

Most charges on your invoice will relate to time spent by Council team members (planners and engineers) assessing your application and you will see this itemised into categories such as report writing or communication.  Other fees include:

Software fee

For each resource consent application, we prepare a detailed report assessing your proposal against the District Plan and relevant legislation. To do this efficiently and accurately, our planners use specialist software designed for resource consent processing. This software provides a tailored workflow that ensures your application is assessed consistently and meets statutory requirements.  The Council pays to use this software and costs are passed on to the applicant.

Monitoring fees

Some resource consents include conditions that must be met after the consent is granted (for example, the position of a building on the site, limits on noise, or a requirement to put in place some landscaping). To ensure these conditions are being complied with, Council carries out monitoring visits or reviews reports provided by the consent holder.

The monitoring fee covers the cost of the initial compliance check, including staff time, travel, and any follow-up reporting. If multiple visits or additional checks are required, further charges may apply.

Site Visits

For most resource consent applications, we need to visit your property to check details that can’t be confirmed from plans or photos, such as indicative boundary locations, existing structures, or environmental features. Site visits help us ensure your application is assessed accurately and meets District Plan requirements.

Time charged for site visits includes travel time and time at the site. If additional visits are needed, this time would also be charged.

Independent Commissioner Fees

Although Council staff have delegated authority to make decisions on most resource consent applications, we often appoint an independent commissioner. This usually happens when staff capacity is limited or when an application requires specialist expertise or impartiality.

The fee covers the commissioner’s time to review the application, consider submissions (if any), and make a decision. For most straightforward applications that do not require a hearing, the cost of using an independent commissioner is similar to the cost of a decision made by Council staff.

Commissioners are engaged on a case-by-case basis, and the actual cost is on charged to applicants.

Signing and Sealing Fees

These fees cover a group of tasks that include the final certification work Council must complete after a subdivision consent is granted. It includes signing survey plans (s223 and s224 RMA) and preparing or certifying legal documents such as bond agreements, consent notices, covenants, and easements. These steps confirm that all subdivision conditions have been met so Land Information New Zealand can issue new titles.