By Anna Bensemann, Senior Planner Baseline Group | Nov 22, 2021
Just because you have always been allowed to do something does not mean you will not need a resource consent for that activity in the future. Activities to the use of the coastal environment, a discharge to land, air or water, a water take for irrigation, or the use of the bed of a river may require a future consent if a Regional or Unitary Council change the rules.
Rules change because every ten years councils are required to review their regional plans that manage these activities. In the process of revising these plans a Regional or Unitary Council may identify an environmental effect that requires new rules to manage.
If the result of the review process determines a new rule is to be imposed, which may remove the permitted activity status from the activity, people who carry out the activity have six months to seek a resource consent. This time frame applies only from the date the rule becomes operative in the plan and is set out in section 20A of the RMA.
Some rules have legal effect from the date the council notifies them for public submissions, but if you have been operating legally under old permitted rules, you can continue to operate until the rule becomes operative. Only once operative does the six-month time fame to seek a resource consent apply.
Through the resource consents process Council may require you to change the way you carry out the activity. Using the example of a septic tank system, they may require you upgrade the tank or the disposal field to meet current design standards for onsite wastewater disposal. For a water take they may require that you meter how much water you are taking and provide the results to ensure you are complying with your allocated volume of water.
Resource consents for these activities are also subject to a duration, meaning they expire within a certain timeframe. The longest this timeframe can be is 35 years, however often this time frame is reduced. In the example of a septic tank system, many modern systems are only guaranteed for 15 years. At that point council requires you to renew your consent so an investigation to ensure it is functioning correctly can be undertaken.
Section 20A of the RMA does not apply to land use activities or buildings which are established before a rule change comes into effect, and these activities have existing use rights under another part of the RMA.
Because you have always been allowed to carry out an activity, does not mean it is ok to continue, at least not without some consideration of the way the activity is carried out, and what best practice methods are available to achieve a better environmental outcome. When your council notifies a plan review or change make sure you check how a rule change might affect you to be sure you can carry out the activity the way you have always lawfully done.
Articles you might be interested in
- Managing Cultural Heritage Sites
- Times' up on the RMA
- Game changers for housing under the RMA
- The impact of consent notices when purchasing land
- Risks to farmland in the planning framework
- Hazardous activities, land contamination and resource consent applications
- What to do when you inherit land
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Negotiating with Neighbours Under the RMA
- Planning land use to be resilient to natural hazards
- Rural allotment sizes set to double in West Selwyn
- Who Pays for Infrastructure in Greenfield Land Development?
- A Practical Guide for District Plan Reviews
- Planning Rules can Affect Property Value
- Housing Intensification – Not for Everyone Says CCC
- State highways, noise and reverse sensitivity: what’s the buzz?
- District Plan in Selwyn – How will it Affect You?
- Have your say on Development Projects
- Who Shapes our Planning Rules?
- Spotlight on District Plan Provisions
- Fundamental Culture Shift in New Zealand Planning Legislation.
- How might Development Contributions affect you?
- Why we have complicated septic tank disposal rules
- The Role of Planning in the Climate Change - Discussion for Agriculture
- Commercial Activity in a Rural Zone – What’s the Harm?
- Cross lease titles - an overview
- RMA changes are coming, are you ready?
- Is it a Wetland or Not?
- Housing Growth continues in Selwyn with Legislative Support
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan - What next?
- The importance of knowing your boundaries
- Is the RMA really the problem?
- Minimum car parking requirements to be chopped
- Boundary disputes – What are they and how can you resolve them?
- A recent Baseline Group project was recognised at the 2022 Canterbury Architecture Awards
- Selwyn District Council Changes Urban Allotment Sizes
- How lizards might affect your new development
- Buildings under exemptions may still need resource consent
- What does a professional planner do?
- Highly Productive Soils – Big Picture Thinking vs Private Landowners Needs
- Change isn't coming, it's here!
- Crunch Time For New Freshwater Legislation
- Proposed Selwyn District Plan Update
- Outstanding Natural Features and Landscapes - effect on farming
- Rural Allotment Sizes set to Double
- The dream of subdividing your land
- Good District Plan provisions save time and money
- Indigenous Biodiversity: what does it mean for a farmer?
- Wild Weather and Resource Consent Requirements
- Minimum Car Parking Requirements to be Chopped