Having resource consent from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council means you have been allowed access to use a shared, natural resource such as water, air, land, or the coast.
In this section you can find information about applying for a consent, and there is a very useful consent guide for anyone who currently holds consent, or is looking to apply for consent.
Some of the most commonly used consent application forms can be downloaded.
For submitters, there are guidelines on making submissions on resource consents and a submission form, also you can view any current applications out for public notification.
The regional rules (which consents are assessed against) are contained in the Regional Resource Management Plan (RRMP) and Regional Coastal Environment Plan (RCEP) which have been developed with public consultation. The Resource Management Act (RMA) also applies when assessing consents.
Where a regional rule states that you must have consent to perform an activity (such as taking water for irrigation, building a structure on the coast or discharging contaminates to land), then you must apply to Council for consent. If consent is not needed, there may still be some conditions surrounding performing your activity.
When consent is needed and you apply for it, Council must assess your application against the RRMP, RCEP and the RMA. Some consents are more straightforward than others, while some will require agreement from other people or groups, such as the Department of Conservation, Fish and Game, tangata whenua or affected members of the public.
Under the RMA you need a resource consent if you want to carry out various activities which may have an effect on the environment, such as:
- discharging contaminates into water, into air or onto land;
- taking, damming or diverting water;
- causing a disturbance to or building a structure on the bed of a river, a lake or sea, ie. building a wharf or bridge;
- drilling groundwater bores or wells.
The requirements for resource consents are set out in the Regional Resource Management Plan, the Regional Coastal Plan.
Check out our consent guide
Please the Consents Advisor on 0800 108 838 to discuss your individual consenting needs.