Guidance for resource management practitioners
Use our technical advice and guidance notes to understand what activities may require a resource consent and how to prepare a consent application.
We appreciate there is a lot to consider when making a resource consent application, especially for an activity that must meet complex legal and regulatory requirements.
To help applicants prepare an application that has all the necessary information, we are regularly developing:
- Technical advice notes - documents that explain our position on regulatory or legislative matters, e.g., interpretation and implementation of caselaw, national direction.
- Guidance notes - documents that outline a preference or make a suggestion on how to do something, e.g., application expectations advice.
While the content of these notes has been written primarily with consent consultants in mind, they will be helpful for anyone looking to apply for resource consent in situations that aren't straightforward.
If you are unsure about your application, we suggest you book a pre-application meeting with our consent planners to discuss your individual circumstances. You can book this free one-hour appointment by filling in our online pre-application advice form or email us at ecinfo@ecan.govt.nz.
Note: These technical advice and guidance notes do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Please seek specific legal advice if you have legal questions or issues.
We use reasonable endeavours to ensure that the information on this page is reliable and accurate at the time of publishing. The content of this page may be updated at any time and may, at times, be out of date, inaccurate and/or incomplete. We accept no responsibility for keeping the content of this page up to date, accurate and/or complete, nor do we accept any liability for any failure to do so.
Latest notes
Implications of the decision of the Supreme Court in Cloud Ocean Water Limited v Aotearoa Water Action Incorporated (2023)
The Supreme Court has confirmed the 2022 decision of the Court of Appeal regarding how to interpret and apply rules in the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) related to the taking and using of water.
This provides clarity that it is not possible to consider the take and use of water separately under the LWRP except where specifically provided for.
This means where water is fully or over-allocated it is not currently possible to apply for a new take and/or use of water unless provided for by a specific rule.
This includes situations where a consent holder wishes to add or change a use of water to an existing water permit.
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Our Resource consents newsletter provides the latest guidance on what to consider when applying for a resource consent and how to ensure your application has all the necessary information.
The newsletter also shares the latest definitions and interpretations as new national or regional legislation and regulations are introduced as they may affect your application.
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