WCM LEGAL : RESOURCE MANAGEMENT LAW
Resource Management services
The Resource Management Act 1994 (RMA) is the main piece of legislation that sets out how we should manage our environment. It is based on the idea of the sustainable management of our resources, and it encourages us (as communities and as individuals) to plan for the future of our environment.
Some activities can be undertaken as of right, but others need permission from the local council. This permission is called a resource consent. (For an overview of the RMA and the resource consent process, you may like to take a look at the Ministry for the Environment’s useful guide Getting in on the Act.)
The RMA dictates what you can do on your land, or in your house and buildings, and WCM LEGAL can provide the specialist knowledge and experience to manage the resource management and environmental law aspects of a wide range of activities.
Whether you’ll need a resource consent or not, and what type of consent you’ll need, will depend on the type of activity you are proposing and how it is classified in the Council’s plan. The introduction of a new Combined District Plan covering the three Wairarapa district councils has meant a number of changes to resource consent requirements in the region and we recommend seeking advice on your legal requirements.
If the Council decides that the effects of a proposed activity are more than minor, or that it will affect other people, you will have a chance to have your say. While consultation is not always a mandatory requirement under the RMA it can be useful to talk to interested or potentially affected parties when preparing an application, and we can guide you through this.
Land designations also affect what activities you can carry out. Areas of land can be designated for use by authorities as network utilities or public works, for example. This means that works can be carried out without the subsequent need to comply with district plan rules. The process for designating land is similar to a resource consent application and individuals, or their lawyers, can be involved in the process and have their say.
Often these applications are advertised in the Public Notices columns of the newspaper. You should read these notices and if you think they may apply to you, or affect you, give us a call.
Contact Mark
Hinton or Penny
Elliott
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