Water, discharge, stream and coastal consents (Auckland)

What this application is

Auckland Council is a unitary authority. The Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 establishes it as a territorial authority that also has the responsibilities, duties and powers of a regional council, so it issues regional resource consents as well as district consents. The Auckland Unitary Plan includes the regional policy statement, the regional coastal plan and the regional plan as well as the district plan.^[6][7][1]

Sections 12 to 15 of the Resource Management Act 1991 restrict activities in the coastal marine area (section 12), certain uses of the beds of lakes and rivers (section 13), taking, using, damming or diverting water (section 14) and discharging contaminants (section 15). Each section lists the ways an activity can be allowed, such as by a national environmental standard, a rule in a regional plan or a resource consent, and some have further exceptions. From 30 October 2026, the Planning Act 2026 adds a rule in an initial national standard to those lists.^{[8][9][10][11][12][3]}

Under section 87, a coastal permit covers activities in the coastal marine area that would otherwise breach section 12, 14, 15, 15A or 15B. Outside the coastal marine area, a water permit covers activities that would otherwise breach section 14, and a discharge permit covers those that would otherwise breach section 15. A land use consent covers activities that would otherwise breach section 9 or section 13, so a consent for works in the bed of a lake or river is a land use consent.^[2]

Auckland Council says a regional resource consent is needed for an activity that will affect water, air, land, the coast or natural character values. Its examples include water permits to take, use, dam or divert water; discharge consents for stormwater, wastewater or other contaminants into water or onto or into land; consents for works in the bed of a lake, river or stream, such as culverts, weirs, fords and stream diversion; and coastal permits for activities such as building a jetty or seawall, dredging, or occupying part of the common marine and coastal area.^{[1][13][14][15][16]}

NearBuild groups Auckland Council's discharge, water, stream works and coastal consent applications on this page. A record in the list shows that an application was lodged, not that consent was granted.^[17][1]

In the Wellington region, Greater Wellington Regional Council deals with water permits, discharge permits, coastal permits and land use consents for activities such as using or disturbing a river or lake bed. It says city and district councils deal with consents for other activities, such as subdivision.^[18]

What neighbours can do

Auckland Council publishes a weekly list of resource consent applications lodged in the last 26 weeks, and its Regional Planning Helpdesk can give details about specific applications.^[17]

An applicant may ask a person who is likely to be affected for written approval. Auckland Council says it accepts only unconditional approval, and that if a person gives written approval it does not consider the effects on them when deciding whether to notify the application or whether to grant it. It says a person who gave approval cannot appeal the decision once the consent is granted.^[19]

Auckland Council says a person can change their mind until a decision is made on the application, even after giving written approval, and should confirm a withdrawal in writing as soon as possible because the council may need to notify the application.^[19]

Submissions can be made only on notified applications. If an application is publicly notified, anyone may make a submission; if it has limited notification, only people served with notice of it may, with some limits set out elsewhere in the Act. A submission can support or oppose the application, or be neutral. Under section 120, apart from the applicant (and, for some coastal permits, the Minister of Conservation), only people who made a submission can appeal the decision to the Environment Court.^[20][21]

Auckland Council says public notices of notified applications appear in newspapers and, for some parts of the region, on its resource consent public notices page.^[22][23]

Notification

Auckland Council says it processes almost all resource consent applications without notifying the public.^[22]

Under section 95A of the Resource Management Act 1991, the council must publicly notify an application if the applicant asks for it, and in a few other set cases, such as when the applicant does not provide further information the council has asked for. Otherwise, unless public notification is precluded (for example by a rule or national environmental standard, or because the application is only for controlled activities or boundary activities), the council must publicly notify an application when a rule or national environmental standard requires it, or when it decides the activity will have, or is likely to have, adverse effects on the environment that are more than minor. For applications lodged before 30 October 2026, it also publicly notifies an application when it decides special circumstances warrant it. The Planning Act 2026 repealed that step for applications lodged from that date.^{[24][25][12][3]}

When deciding whether adverse effects are more than minor for public notification, section 95D says the council must disregard, among other things, effects on the owners and occupiers of the site and of adjacent land, and effects on anyone who has given written approval. Effects on particular people are considered when the council decides on limited notification.^[26][27]

If an application is not publicly notified, section 95B requires the council to decide whether to give limited notification. It must notify certain groups, such as affected protected customary rights groups, and, unless limited notification is precluded, each person it decides is an affected person. Under section 95E, a person is affected if the activity's adverse effects on them are minor or more than minor, but not less than minor. A person is not affected if they gave written approval and did not withdraw it before the council decided who is affected, or if the council is satisfied it is unreasonable in the circumstances for the applicant to seek their approval. Limited notification is precluded in some cases, for example when the application is only for a controlled activity under a district plan, other than a subdivision. The council may also notify other people if special circumstances warrant it.^[27][28][22]

When deciding who is an affected person under section 95E, the general rules of the Auckland Unitary Plan say the council will give specific consideration to entities responsible for resources the activity may affect. These include the network utility operator for infrastructure, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga for historic heritage, the Minister of Conservation for natural resources and the coastal environment, the Tūpuna Maunga Authority for maunga, and the iwi authority for sites of significance or value to Mana Whenua.^[29]

Submissions close on the 20th working day after the application is publicly notified or given limited notification. For limited notification, the council may close submissions earlier once every affected person has made a submission, given written approval or said in writing that they will not make a submission.^[30][22]

In Auckland

Auckland Council says regional resource consents are granted to a person or entity and do not automatically transfer to a new owner when the site is sold. It says most types of regional consent incur an annual charge.^[1]

Auckland Council says that if the volume of water and its proposed use fall below the threshold for a resource consent, a person can instead apply for a notice of permitted activity to take, use or dam water. It accepts applications for water permits, discharge consents, works in the bed of a lake or river and coastal permits only online.^{[13][14][15][16]}

Read the council's own guidance

• When you need a regional resource consent, Auckland Council
• Water permit to take, use, dam, or divert water, Auckland Council
• Consent to discharge contaminants onto land or into the air or water, Auckland Council
• Consent for works within the bed of a lake or river, Auckland Council
• Coastal consents or permits, Auckland Council
• Resource Management Act 1991, section 87: Types of resource consents, New Zealand Legislation (Parliamentary Counsel Office)