Resource consent processing delays

Nelson City Council’s resource consents team is receiving a steady demand for resource consent applications, and currently demand is outpacing delivery as we, like other areas of the country are facing staffing issues.

These issues include a nationwide shortage of experienced and qualified planning staff as well as unprecedented illness due to COVID-19.

This means we now have a waiting list for allocating resource consents to a planner. We also wanted to let you know that we may not be able to process consents within the timeframes identified in the Resource Management Act (RMA). Please note the current situation will also impact the timeframe for replies to general queries and non-urgent matters.

We have engaged consultant planners to assist with processing and are putting in place a training programme to allow us to hire less experienced planners and grow them into the role. All of this will help with our capacity, but there are no easy or quick solutions. For example, consultants are also at capacity at the moment, so our ability to contract in help is diminished.

What you can do to help the processing of your application
Customers with strict deadlines they need to meet for their resource consents are asked to let Council know when submitting their applications so that Council staff can do their utmost to meet them.

• Ensure you have all the required information before you submit your application.
• Apply early – at least three months prior to starting the work. Normally applicants have five years between receiving a resource consent decision and having to carry out the activity before the consent lapses, so apply well in advance to avoid tight timeframes. 

We appreciate that delays with consents can impact on timelines for your project and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these issues.