Our main offices will be closed Easter Weekend. Refuse collection will not take place on Good Friday, 29 March. Areas, where refuse is collected on Fridays, will instead have collections on Saturday, 30 March. This affects the Te Teko, Edgecumbe, Poroporo and White Pine Bush areas. Refuse will be collected on all other days as normal.
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Resource Consents

If you want to develop your land or buildings in the Whakatāne District, it’s essential that you check with us to see if you need resource consent. Council planners will help you understand the resource consent process and advise what types of consents you need.

Resource consent processes are governed by the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The RMA is about the sustainable management of resources.

When Councils process a resource consent application, they must consider the effects of the proposal on the environment. This includes impacts on people as well as the physical and natural environment.

Note: if you are applying for a resource consent, consult the District Plan. If you have any questions, contact a Duty Planner on 07 306 0500.

The Council’s “planning rules” are described in the Whakatāne District Plan. Whether a resource consent is required depends on the nature of the proposed activity.

A land use consent is written approval from the Council to use your land in a way that does not comply with the District Plan or is listed in the District Plan as an activity specifically requiring resource consent. The District Plan is a book of rules for particular activities and developments that the Council is required to have under the RMA.


District and regional plans

The RMA requires that district and regional councils prepare a District or Regional Plan. These documents set out the rules for development and the use of resources in the area.

Whakatāne District Council’s District Plan controls how land is used, including rules on noise, earthworks, building, land use practices and subdivision.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council controls other activities, such as the taking and discharge of water, and discharges to air and land. It also manages the coastal marine area in conjunction with the Department of Conservation. In some cases, developments need resource consent from both the Regional Council and the District Council.


Zoning

Zoning is the method planners use to indicate how different types of land or areas can be used. There are different sets of rules for each zone. For example, a dwelling is a permitted activity in a residential zone, but a business activity is not.

Call us on 07 306 0500 to talk to a planner about the rules that apply in your zone and whether you need to apply for consent.

Sub-pages

The Council ensures that development of the District is within the Resource Management Act 1991 and the policies of the District Plan through regulatory consents.

The following information outlines what you need to consider before subdividing in a rural area, including zoning rules, lot sizes and Council processes.