Notified and non-notified applications

• Non-notified applications
• What is public notification?
• What is limited notification?
• What happens if your application is notified?
• What happens if your application receives a submission?
• Currently publicly notified applications

Non-notified applications

If the ARC is satisfied that your proposed activity will have only minor effects on the environment and you have provided written approval from everyone we consider may be adversely affected, your application may be processed as non-notified (with the exception of applications for restricted coastal activities).

This means that we won't publicly notify your application in the newspaper and the public are not able to make submissions on your proposal. Because non-notified applications aren't open to public submissions, and hearings are not held, they are processed faster and generally cost less.

What is public notification?

The ARC will decide whether or not to publicly notify your application depending on how the activity is classified in the relevant regional plan, and the scale and effects of the activity. If we consider that the effects of your proposed activity will be more than minor, generally the application will be publicly notified. We will also publicly notify your application at your request.

In assessing whether the adverse environmental effects of the activity will be ‘minor', the ARC consider:

• the nature, scale and location of the activity
• the sensitivity of the environment
• any long-term or permanent effects
• off-site effects
• cumulative effects
• social and cultural effects
• risk
• mitigation.

When an application is publicly notified, a notice of your application is advertised in the public notices section of the local newspaper. Parties that the ARC consider may be potentially adversely affected by your proposal, as well as those parties we are required to notify by law, will be sent a letter advising them of your application and given the opportunity to make a submission.

The parties we are required to notify by law include:

• local authority for the area of your proposed activity
• iwi authorities who we consider should have notice of the application
• minister of Conservation if your application relates to an activity in or on land adjoining the coastal marine area.

What is limited notification?

In some instances, the ARC may decide to ‘serve notice' of your application to a limited number of people. This occurs if we consider that the effects of your proposed activity are minor and you have not obtained the written approval of those persons we consider to be adversely affected. The ARC will serve notice of the application to all persons it considers may be potentially adversely affected by your proposal, giving them the opportunity to make a submission.

What happens if your application is notified?

If your application is publicly notified any person is able to make a submission either supporting or opposing the proposal. If your application is limited notified then only those persons who are notified can make a submission. They must make their submission within 20 working days following the notification. Submitters are required to state why they support or oppose the application and suggest conditions, if any, for the resource consent. After the submission period closes, you will receive a copy of any submissions to your application.

What happens if your application receives a submission?

We encourage applicants and submitters to communicate directly to discuss any concerns and identify ways in which they can be addressed. If that doesn't work, we may arrange a pre-hearing meeting or refer you to mediation, which provides an opportunity to clarify and potentially resolve issues. If that doesn't succeed, a public hearing is generally required to decide your application.

View the list of currently notified consent applications that are currently being processed by the ARC.