Resource consent forms and fees

The lodgment of applications as multiple documents, across multiple emails are no longer accepted.

If the file size of your application exceeds 30mb - please compress the file using an appropriate document compression application such as One Drive, Drop Box or a zip file.

Fees and charges can increase each year from 1 July.

Charges may still apply for applications that are withdrawn or incomplete.

You can pay by:

• electronic bank transfer
• at our customer service counter

Request a deposit invoice

If a deposit invoice is required for payment, please email the team at RClodgements@gdc.govt.nz

We need to know contact name, organisation or company name and the site address.

Once your deposit invoice is issued, you can pay:

• Direct through our online payment portal
• by electronic bank transfer
• or at our customer service counter.

Note: A resource consent can only be issued to a legal entity.

If you're applying for a resource consent for a Trust, you must be an incorporated charitable trust or a Māori land trust.  If you are, please provide proof of the incorporation status such as a copy of the Trust’s Certificate of Incorporation under Section 7 Charitable Trusts Act 1957 (or as a Māori land trust) with your completed resource consent application.

For all other trusts such as a family trust, the application must be lodged in the name of a trustee as a nominated person on behalf of the trust.

Any additional dwelling with a floor area of 60m2 or greater is considered to be an independent dwelling unit which must comply with points 1 - 6 listed above.

Please note that the minimum site area requirements apply to each dwelling. For example, two detached houses in the General Residential zone require a total site area of 800m2.

These are financial payments made by people when developing property. These contributions fund the infrastructure and reserves required to provide for the demand created by growth.

This demand can come from a range of development. It may include residential, commercial or industrial development. A development contribution payment is required for both the construction of a minor dwelling and a second residential dwelling, although the amount will differ

Your project may require two types of consent from the Council, Resource consent and Building consent:

Resource consent - for activities that impact on the environment which includes your neighbours or the neighbourhood. A Resource consent is permission for you to undertake an activity that does not comply with Council’s District Plan rules. This may require an assessment of effects in regard to noise levels, traffic, safety or loss of sunlight.

Building consent - to ensure your building is structurally sound and safe. Construction techniques, plumbing, drainage and land stability would be assessed through this type of consent. Please note this is a general guide to our residential development rules and is designed to provide basic advice to people wishing to undertake small scale development.

If your query has not been addressed, please  seek further advice by contacting our Duty Planner on 869 2444 - Monday to Friday  10am to 12pm.

The rules for development within Gisborne’s residential zones are outlined in our Tairawhiti Resource Management Plan .

If you are planning a development please feel free to speak to Council’s Duty Planner for more information.

The following rules apply:

Minimum Site Area - the minimum size of the section on which you will be working. Refer to Council’s District Plan to confirm which zone your section is within:

* Land subject to a Site Caution Layer is generally erosion prone and/or is not stable.

Yards - the minimum distance between a building and your boundary. Yard requirements are designed to protect your privacy. Yards differ depending on whether the building is a house or a shed, garage or carport. These requirements are shown below.

A building may be built closer to a boundary if the affected neighbour gives their written approval and if the building still meets the height rules.

Please note that yards differ for rural zones.

Height - the height of buildings relative to their distance from the boundary. These rules are designed to protect your neighbour’s access to sunlight. The building height recession plane is calculated by measuring 2.75m vertically on your boundary.

Your building must fit within the angle specified in the diagram below. Minimum angles allowed differ depending on the orientation of your section.

If your proposed building infringes the height recession plane but the extent of the infringement is less than one metre, a resource consent will only be required if the affected neighbour will not give written approval. If the building exceeds the height recession plane by more than one metre, a resource consent will be required.

Site Coverage - the percentage of your property covered by buildings and structures. No more than 35% of your land (site) area can be covered in buildings. This includes existing buildings and structures with a roof and decks 2.4m above the ground. Access strips (driveways) to rear sites may not be included when calculating this percentage.

Access - Accessways (driveways) to two - four houses must be a minimum of 4m wide on your plan. They must be sealed to at least 3m wide. Please note there are different requirements when five or more dwellings share an accessway.

Building Length - Multiple units or buildings additional to the main building cannot be longer than 15m. If they are, at least one of the buildings must be offset by at least 2m or set a sufficient distance from the boundary.

If your development fails to meet any of these requirements or, in the case of the height and yard requirements, you are unable to obtain the necessary approval from the neighbouring property owners you will need to obtain a Resource consent (land use) from the Gisborne District Council.

A minor dwelling is a dwelling unit which has a floor area less than 60m2 . It must comply with points 1- 5 listed above. There is no minimum site area for a minor dwelling unit.

If your application is incomplete (the information listed on the back of the resource consent application form hasn’t been provided), or it doesn’t have enough information, the application will be returned to you unprocessed.

Your application must include sufficient information so Council can assess your proposed activity and how it will affect the environment.

If your application is missing some detail required to make this assessment we will request the information from you. If you are asked for further information your application will go on hold until you supply the information. If you choose not to supply the information your application may be declined.

If you are unhappy with Council’s decision you have the right to lodge an appeal with the Environment Court within 15 days of receiving the decision.

If you are unhappy with a condition(s) placed on the resource consent you can lodge an objection with Council for reconsideration of that requirement.

The cost of a resource consent depends on the amount of time taken by Council staff and the Hearing Committee to process your consent.

Generally non-notified consents are less expensive however this will depend on the complexity of your proposal and whether enough information was submitted with the original application.

Deposit fees are required to be paid upon lodgment of any Resource Consent  - please refer to our fees and charges for deposit amounts.

Development contributions are financial payments charged when developing property and where new sections are created as a result of a subdivision.

A development contribution may be required for a land use resource consent depending on the nature of the proposed activity. More information on Development Contributions here.

If you require any planning advice or information you can contact our Duty Planner on 869 2444 - Monday to Friday, 10am to 12pm.

A resource consent is written permission from Council to do an activity that does not comply with a rule in one of Council’s plans prepared under the Resource Management Act (RMA).

We have a combined District and Regional plan - called the Tāirawhiti Resource Management Plan (TRMP). This outlines rules about the types of activities that can be done in the Gisborne district. It also  indicates what we are trying to achieve by managing our resources.

They specify what you can do as of right (permitted activity), or what you need permission (resource consent) for.

There are 5 different types of consents:

• Landuse Consent - for the use of land.
• Coastal Permit - for any activity in the coastal marine area.
• Water Permit - for taking, damming or diverting water.
• Discharge Permit - for discharging contaminants to land, soil, water or air.
• Subdivision Consent - for subdividing land.

Resource consent application forms are available at Customer Service and online.

Once we accept the resource consent application for processing, there are 2 ways it can be processed; either notified or non-notified.

Notified Consents 

There are 2 types of notification processes:

• Public notification
• Limited notification

Public notification

A resource consent application is required to be publicly notified if:

• Council decides the activity will have or is reasonably likely to have adverse effects on the environment that are more than minor; or
• the applicant requests it; or
• a rule or national environmental standard requires it; or
• there are ‘special circumstances.

Public notification means the application must be advertised in the Gisborne Herald and on our website and calls for written submissions from the public. We will also send a copy of your application to all the people we determine might be affected.

Once notified, anyone can make a written submission to Council either supporting or opposing your application. If submissions are received that oppose the application, the application goes to a hearing.

A hearing is a public meeting where a committee of councillors or commissioners hear the evidence for and against the application and make the final decision on whether to grant or decline the application.

Limited Notification

Limited notification will occur when the effects of an activity only extend to adjacent land. People deemed by Council to be adversely affected by the application must be notified and only they can make a submission on the application.

If a person has given written approval for the activity, they cannot be considered affected and do not need to be notified. The application is not advertised in the newspaper, but will be on our website.

Like publicly notified applications, if submissions are received the application is heard by Council’s Hearings Committee who will make the final decision whether to approve or decline the application.

The majority of applications we receive are processed without notification.

This means the application is not publicly advertised in the newspaper and affected people do not have to be sent information about your application.

A consent will not be notified if:

• Council considers that the effects of the activity will be minor; and
• every person adversely affected by the proposed activity has given their written approval.

The assessment and decision on whether to grant a non-notified resource consent is undertaken by Council staff.