Waikato Business News July/August 2017

FROM THE GROUND UP
WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS July/August 2017 27
The five key elements to a successful
Resource Consent process
It is rare for anyone not to need a resource
consent at least once in their life. So,
how best to manage this process? In
our experience five key elements are
fundamental to achieving a successful
outcome.
1. Seek advice
Just like any new (ad)venture,
appreciating that you
may be entering the unknown
is important. This is the first
element. The worst approach
is to assume that obtaining a
resource consent is straight
forward. Seek assistance from
those who deal with this process
every day.
2. Good quality information
We’re not saying that it’s Mt
Everest nor discouraging “a
can do” approach. However
the second element is providing
the council involved with
good quality information to
enable a more constructive
process.
3. Investigate all issues
Taking time initially to plan
your approach and investigate
the issues to ensure the right
work is being undertaken by
the right service provider in
the right order is the third and
possibly the most important element.
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Obtaining the consent
based on conceptual information,
with detailed engineering
design following avoids the
higher level of work and associated
investment being lost if
the resource consent was not
granted, or granted on a reduced
scale. Why risk a great
deal of time and money by not
being aware of the issues and
resource management frameworks
at the beginning?
4. Engage with council
Building a constructive relationship
with the council also
assists the process. Points of
agreement or disagreement
can be determined and the
detail of any technical assessments
confirmed. Rather than
undertaking a full Traffic Impact
Assessment for a proposal,
council may agree that a
simple analysis of peak traffic
periods will suffice. This gives
rise to the fourth element. Engage
with the council. There
is a wealth of knowledge there
and assistance can be forthcoming
if you are open to receiving
it.
5. Invest in the process
It’s about investing in steps
towards certainty, which is the
fifth element. If done properly
and strategically, this will
focus the issues, manage time
and cost, and provide greater
confidence, placing you best
to navigate the process.
Entertain the idea of seeking
professional planning
assistance to ensure your
project is run strategically,
establishing a constructive
relationship with the council
early working to your desired
outcome.
Catriona Eagles is a senior
planner with Cheal Consultants.
Cheal provides expert
services in the fields of planning,
surveying and civil,
geotechnical, and structural
Engineering. We have offices
in Taupo, Hawke’s Bay,
Ohakune, Taumaranui, Hamilton
and Rotorua.
Structural design of swimming pool, Taupo.
Catriona Eagles, MNZPI
– Senior Planner at Cheal.
engineers | surveyors | planners
Your experts in land development from the ground up
Ph: +64 7 858 4564
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