Resource Consents

Resource Consent Application Form(PDF, 311KB)

Deemed Permitted Boundary Activity Written Approval Application(PDF, 177KB)

Outline Plan/Waiver Application-Form(PDF, 161KB)

Notice to Undertake Permitted Forestry Activities(PDF, 174KB)

Protected Tree Removal/Trimming Application Form(PDF, 135KB)

Cancellation of Building Line Restriction Application(PDF, 131KB)

Marginal Exemption or Temporary Activity Application(PDF, 152KB)

Right of Way Approval Application(PDF, 220KB) 

Existing Use Certificate Application(PDF, 165KB)

Affected Persons Written Approval Form (Resource Consents)(PDF, 103KB)

When you apply for a resource consent, you must pay an application fee (deposit) before we can start processing your application. This initial fee is a deposit only. Most applications will incur additional charges depending on their type, scale, and complexity.

After we receive your application, an invoice will be sent to the nominated payer. We will begin processing once payment has been made.

Important: Your project may also require Development Contributions or Financial Contributions, which are separate from your resource consent fees and can be significant. Please make sure you read this policy before applying.

Click here for our fees

Read Development and Financial Contributions Policy

A resource consent is official approval from Upper Hutt City Council to undertake activities that may impact the environment or others. Resource consents make sure new developments, subdivisions and land uses meets the rules in Upper Hutt's District Plan which helps protect our city's environment, character and well-being.

You might need a resource consent if your project:

• Affects neighbours or the community (e.g., noise, traffic, shading)
• Involves building close to a boundary
• Changes how land is used or subdivided
• Doesn't comply with the District Plan rules for your zone

Resource consents are issued under the Resource Management Act 1991 and Upper Hutt City Council issues the below two types of resource consents:

• Land Use Consent: For activities like altering buildings or changing land use.
• Subdivision Consent: For dividing land or buildings into separate legal titles.

If you're unsure whether your project requires a resource consent, it's advisable to contact the council for guidance.

Land Use Consent

You may need a Land Use Consent if you want to:

• Build a house closer to a boundary than the rules allow
• Run a business from home that isn’t permitted in your zone
• Make changes that impact the environment or neighbouring properties

Subdivision Consent

You'll need a Subdivision Consent to:

• Create new lots or sections from an existing property
• Convert units or dwellings into separate legal titles (e.g. cross-lease, fee simple, unit title)

Not sure if you need a consent?

Talk to our planning team before you start your project. We can:

• Tell you if your activity requires consent under the District Plan
• Help you understand the likely effects, information you’ll need to provide, and any professionals to involve

Tip: Getting advice early can save you time and money later.

What you'll need:

• A completed application form
• An Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) – a report explaining how your proposal may impact the environment and how those effects will be managed

You may also need to engage professionals like:

• Consultant planners
• Surveyors
• Traffic or civil engineers
• Landscape architects

You can submit your application:

• by email: resourceconsents@uhcc.govt.nz
• In person; or 
• by post

Application fees

Once Council has received your application, an invoice will be generated and emailed within 24 hours (or the following Monday if lodged during the weekend). Instructions for payment will be on the invoice. 

You may also need to pay Development and Financial Contributions depending on your proposal.

VETTING OF APPLICATION

First, your application is vetted to ensure it contains sufficient information for Council to accept as a full and complete application for processing. One of our team members will be in touch within the first 10 working days of lodgement to acknowledge the application has been accepted (or otherwise).

FULL REVIEW

Your application is then distributed to a processing planner for review (including vetting as above) and also to relevant experts such as engineers (if applicable).  A full assessment of the proposal and environmental effects of your proposed activity is undertaken.

If further information is required, including engineering requirements, you will be notified via a ‘further information request’.  The processing clock will stop while further information is sought and begin again when the request has been resolved.

NOTIFICATION

The processing planner is also assessing whether an application needs to be assessed as a limited or publicly notified consent. This will depend on whether your application:

• is likely to affect your wider community or the environment, we may require it to be publicly notified
• will adversely affect your neighbours and you are unable to get their written approval for your plans, your application may be processed as a limited notification consent.

If your application is notified, it will be open to submissions and may go to a hearing, if opposing submissions are received. Council staff will contact you to set out the steps and requirements of this process, if necessary.

CONSENT DECISION

Once any further information requests are closed off, the processing planner will complete their assessment. If it is determined that the application does not need to be notified, then the processing planner will provide a proposed set of consent conditions to the applicant/their agent for review, before proceeding to issue the resource consent.

If we grant your resource consent, it will list any conditions you need to meet while work is underway or any ongoing requirements.

If your consent is declined, we'll let you know the reasons why in advance.

If extra costs were incurred as part of assessing your application (for example, commissioning a report) or we spent more time than the initial deposit covers, you or your agent will be sent a final invoice by email.

If your application is straight forward and non-notified (meaning it doesn't need to involve other people or organisations), it takes up to 20 working days to process from the time we receive your application fee and accept your application.

We'll contact you if we need more information to process your application. The 20-day clock will be paused until the further information request is addressed.

Notified applications (those that could affect other people or the public) will take longer in order to give people time to respond. More time is required if there are submissions or objections to an application and a hearing is needed.

MONITORING CONSENT CONDITIONS

Once your resource consent is granted, it will list any conditions you need to comply with and what Council need to monitor while work is underway.

We monitor compliance with resource consent conditions to protect the environment and the community.

To comply with the conditions of your resource consent, you must:

• get any required plans approved before work starts (including Engineering Approval if required)
• let us know when you intend to start the work (i.e. earthworks)

As the applicant, you are responsible for complying with the conditions of your consent, even though you may have hired a project manager or builder to run the job on a day-to-day basis.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact the planning compliance officer planningcompliance@uhcc.govt.nz who can help you decide on the best action. It is important to get it right the first time or you may need to apply for a new resource consent.

If you have not complied with resource consent conditions, there may be adverse effects on the environment and we may need to take enforcement action to rectify the issue.

LET US KNOW WHEN YOU INTEND TO START YOUR BUILDING WORK

You must let us know when you're planning to start work at least 48 hours before you begin. You can email planningcompliance@uhcc.govt.nz

SITE VISITS

The number of site inspections that are undertaken by Council monitoring staff will depend on the size of the project and how well you're complying with your conditions.

Most site inspections don’t require you or your agent to be present, but if you would like to be there you can contact the compliance monitoring officer to arrange a time.

MONITORING FEES

The first hour of monitoring has been pre-paid as part of the resource consent application fee. If Council spend additional time with site visits, reviewing conditions or written communication with you or your agent, then additional charges will apply on a time charge basis.