A resource consent is permission from Council to carry out an activity that is not permitted as of right under the Matamata-Piako District Plan or other relevant planning rules.

Resource consents are generally assessed under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). In some cases, you may also need other approvals such as a building consent or approvals from other agencies.

Note: A building consent and a resource consent are not the same thing. You may need one, or both.

You may need a resource consent if your project:

• does not comply with one or more District Plan rules
• is not listed as a permitted activity
• involves subdivision
• affects sensitive features, such as natural hazards, infrastructure, access, or servicing
• triggers a National Environmental Standard (NES)

Whether consent is required depends on the zone, the activity, and the specific standards that apply to your site.

You can check your zoning here via the MPDC GIS Portal.

The most common types are:

Land Use Consent

You may need this if you want to use or develop land in a way that does not comply with the District Plan. For example:

• building too close to a boundary
• exceeding height controls
• establishing a non-permitted activity
• adding additional dwellings
• signage or access non-compliances

Subdivision Consent

You need this if you want to create new lots or titles, adjust boundaries, or undertake certain legal or survey changes to land ownership.

Some projects need both land use and subdivision consent.

If you are unsure whether you need a resource consent, contact the Duty Planner or schedule a pre-application meeting before finalising your plans.

A pre-application meeting can help you understand:

• whether consent is likely to be required
• what District Plan rules may apply
• what supporting information is needed
• whether other Council teams or external agencies may need to be involved

This can save time and reduce costs later in the process.

Resource consent applications require an initial deposit fee when lodged. The total cost depends on:

• the complexity of the proposal
• whether the application is complete
• whether further information is required
• whether specialist review is needed (for example engineering, traffic, urban design, ecology, noise, or servicing)
• whether the application must be notified
• whether a hearing is required

The final cost is based on the actual time and costs involved in processing your application.

Please check out the fees and charges on our website for the most up to date costs – Fees and Charges 2025/26.

Important: A lower-cost application is usually one that is well prepared, includes all required information, and clearly addresses the District Plan rules and effects.

This depends on the type and complexity of the application.

As a general guide:

• non-notified applications are usually processed within 20 working days
• limited or publicly notified applications take longer
• the timeframe may be paused if Council requests further information

Delays often happen when applications are incomplete or do not include enough detail to allow a full assessment.

To help avoid delays, make sure your application includes:

• a completed application form
• a site plan
• floor plans and elevations (if building-related)
• a clear description of the proposal
• an Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE)
• identification of the District Plan rules being complied with and/or infringed
• any relevant specialist reports (for example, traffic, geotechnical, flooding, servicing, stormwater, noise, ecology, contamination)
• any written approvals from affected persons, if obtained

We strongly recommend speaking with the Duty Planner or requesting a pre-application meeting for more complex proposals.

An Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) explains what you are proposing, what rules apply, what effects the proposal may have on the environment and other people and how any adverse effects will be avoided, remedied, or mitigated.

An AEE is required for all resource consent applications, although the level of detail depends on the scale and complexity of the proposal.

Examples of effects that may need to be addressed include:

• traffic and access
• noise
• visual appearance
• servicing and stormwater
• odour, dust, or reverse sensitivity

natural hazards or site constraints

There is no automatic requirement to consult with neighbours before lodging a resource consent application, but it can often be very helpful.

If your proposal affects neighbouring properties, obtaining written approval from those affected persons may reduce processing time, reduce costs, and help avoid notification.

If written approval is provided, Council may be able to disregard effects on those persons when assessing the application.

Depending on the proposal, affected persons may include:

• neighbouring property owners and/or occupiers
• road controlling authorities
• infrastructure providers
• iwi / hapū
• other public agencies

If written approvals are not obtained and Council considers there are affected parties, the application may need to be limited notified or, in some cases, publicly notified.

Note: A written approval is a formal document signed by a person or organisation that may be affected by your proposal. It usually confirms that they have reviewed the proposal plans and approve the infringement or activity being applied for.

Written approval forms can be found here, noting it is beneficial to have the plans of the proposal signed by the affected persons as well.

No, you can only start work on your project once you receive the resource consent and any relevant conditions are being complied with. Any other approvals and consents, including building consents, must also be issued before you begin work.

After resource consent is approved, the decision will be shared with the Applicant, and work can commence provided all conditions are met.

Subdivision Consent

The subdivision consent must be ‘given effect to’ within 5 years of grant of consent, by obtaining approval of a survey plan. Following approval of a survey plan, the consent holder must obtain a section 224(c) certificate within 3 years. After section 224(c) approval is granted, the survey plan is deposited with Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) and new titles are issued.

Land Use Consent

Conditions are added onto consents to protect the environment for current and future users and are designed to avoid or mitigate any negative environmental effects resulting from your activity.

Resource consents are monitored to ensure that they have been carried out in accordance with the application and any conditions that have been imposed on the consent. A site inspection will generally be undertaken by a Monitoring Officer, and an assessment made against all conditions of consent. If there are ongoing conditions, monitoring of the consent will be undertaken as required.

If building work is undertaken without the required resource consent, it may be considered non‑compliant with the District Plan and the Resource Management Act 1991.

In these situations, Council may be required to investigate the activity and take appropriate action to address the non‑compliance. This could include:

• Requiring you to apply for retrospective resource consent, including providing an Assessment of Environmental Effects
• Requesting written approval from affected neighbours, where applicable
• Issuing a formal notice or enforcement action if the activity cannot be authorised through consent
• Requiring changes to the development, or in some cases the removal or cessation of the activity

To avoid these outcomes, it is strongly recommended that you check whether resource consent may be required before building or changing how a property is used. Council’s Duty Planner can help you understand the rules that apply to your site and discuss your options. Please contact us on 07 884 0060 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to check.

Any second-hand or pre-used buildings relocated from off-site requires resource consent as a Discretionary activity.

If the relocated building is new, and there are no other non-compliances resource consent will likely not be required.

Please check out further information on the National Environmental Standards for Detached Minor Residential Units (NES-DMRU) here.

Activity

In many cases, resource consent is not required to run a business from home, provided the activity remains secondary to the residential or rural use of the site. The business must operate within the dwelling or an approved accessory building, and must not exceed 10% of the site area or 150m², whichever is less.

Retailing

Retailing of goods from the site shall be permitted in accordance with the access provisions in Section 9 of the District Plan (refer to Part B, Section 9: Transportation). Retailing of goods from the site shall not be permitted from those sites in the Rural or Rural-Residential zone having frontage to a state highway. Any area set aside for retail (inside or outside) shall not exceed 20m².

Parking and Loading

In addition to the parking requirements in Section 9 of the District Plan (refer to Part B, Section 9: Transportation) relating to the site’s residential use, additional on-site parking, shall be provided except for within the Residential, Business and Industrial zones in Matamata, Morrinsville, and Te Aroha. Loading facilities in accordance with the standards in Section 9 of the District Plan (refer to Part B, Section 9: Transportation) shall be provided on all sites. The parking and loading required shall relate to the type of home occupation being carried out on the site.

Signage

See Section 3.9 of the District Plan (refer to Part B, Section 3: Development controls).

Properties subject to natural hazards under the District Plan – Planning Maps require resource consent as a Discretionary activity. Please check out the website here to check if your property is subject to natural hazards.

Properties that lie outside the hazard areas but may be subject to any natural hazard, slope stability issues or ground conditions not suitable for the foundations of buildings, services or other works require a site evaluation from a suitably qualified engineer or other person. This report must confirm that the site can be safely developed without adverse effects either on or off the site for a permitted activity including necessary access and servicing requirements.

A variation is a request to change part of an existing resource consent, usually where the approved proposal needs to be altered.

For example, you may need a variation if you want to change:

• approved plans
• layout
• access arrangements
• location of buildings or structures
• how a consented activity operates

A variation is usually assessed under section 127 of the RMA.

In a variation application, Council can only assess the changes to the proposal, rather than assessing the whole consented activity again. If consent can be granted, Council then change the existing conditions of consent to allow for the changes to the proposal. No other existing conditions can be changed apart from those directly linked to the proposed changes to the activity.

Whether a variation is suitable depends on the nature of the change. In some cases, a new consent application may be more appropriate. 

The application form for a section 127 can be found here.

A setback is the minimum distance a building or structure must be located from a site boundary.

Setback rules help manage effects such as visual dominance, shading, privacy, fire separation and neighbourhood amenity.

Required setbacks depend on the zone and the type of activity or structure proposed.

To check what applies to your property, go to Section 3 of the District Plan (refer to Part B, Section 3: Development controls) which lists the setbacks for each zone or activity.

If you are unsure of your zoning, feel free to give the Duty Planner a call on 07 884 0060 and provide an address for us to check. 

Important: The legal boundary is not always obvious on site. If you are unsure where your boundary is, you may need to check your title or engage a licensed cadastral surveyor.

HIRB is a rule that controls how high a building can be close to a boundary.

It is designed to protect neighbouring properties from excessive shading, loss of sunlight, visual dominance.

If your building, garage, or other structure extends outside the permitted HIRB envelope, you may need a resource consent or another approval pathway, depending on the type of infringement and the relevant rules.

If the proposed building encroaches on the side or rear yard only, then written approval is required from the neighbouring property that adjoins the area of encroachment.

If the proposed building encroaches on the height relative to boundary (HIRB) requirement, then you will need to apply for a permitted boundary activity (PBA) and written approval would be required from the neighbouring property that adjoins the area of encroachment.

If the proposed building encroaches on the front yard boundary, then you will need to apply for a land use consent and written approval is required from all neighbouring properties that adjoin the area of encroachment (includes property located opposite subject site).

Not always.

Some signs are permitted if they comply with the District Plan standards for:

• location
• size
• height
• number of signs
• illumination
• zone

You may need consent if the sign exceeds permitted dimensions, is illuminated or digital, is in a sensitive location, and is effectively an off-site sign.

Section 3.9 of the District Plan (refer to Part B, Section 3: Development Controls, Section 3.9: Signage) has the total site signage dimensions and general controls for the type of sign and zoning. 

Under the District Plan, the building definition is the same as Section 3 of the Building Act 1991 and it includes: 

Any pool or tank more than 1.0m in height above ground level or immediately below, (including a detention tank, swimming pool, spa pool, swirl pool, plunge pool and hot tub). 

All subdivision requires resource consent.

Whether subdivision is appropriate depends on:

• the zone
• the minimum lot size or average lot requirements
• access and servicing
• shape and layout of proposed lots
• infrastructure capacity and hazards and physical constraints
• compliance with the District Plan (Part B: Section 6) and MPDC Development Manual 2010

Subdivision can include:

• creating new lots
• boundary adjustments
• cross-lease or unit title development
• fee simple subdivision
• easements or legal arrangements associated with development

For most subdivision proposals, you should engage a licensed cadastral surveyor early in the process.

These are all legal instruments that can be registered on the title, but they are not the same thing.

A consent notice is imposed by Council as part of a subdivision consent. Compliance with the consent notice must be met for all ongoing projects on the title.

Covenant or Encumbrances are usually private legal arrangements, often imposed by developers or landowners. Examples may include minimum house size, design or materials controls or restrictions on certain activities.

Council does not enforce covenants or encumbrances and does not control what is included in them. These are private matters between landowners and the relevant parties.

This is common.

A building consent checks whether the work complies with the Building Code and related building legislation. A resource consent checks whether the activity complies with the District Plan and the RMA.

These are different approval processes.

If you lodge a building consent and the proposal does not comply with the District Plan, Council may place a resource consent hold on the building consent under section 37 of the Building Act.

This means the building consent may still be lodged or processed but work cannot lawfully proceed until the resource consent issue is resolved.

To avoid delays, it is best to check planning compliance before lodging building consent plans.