April 23, 2010
A new survey shows Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Kāpiti Coast District Council are two of New Zealand’s top performers when it comes to processing resource consent applications on time. Both achieved a 99% score.
The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development welcomes Government moves to provide discounts to applicants whose councils are slow to process resource consents.
The new discounts announced by Environment Minister Nick Smith in order to improve councils’ performances could speed up economic activity, Business Council Chief Executive Peter Neilson says.
“The cost of a builder’s delay in starting work is much greater than the discount but it will result in councils reviewing their operations, charges and processes,” Mr Neilson says.
The most recent official report shows only four of the country’s 84 councils were fully complying with the law by processing resource consents on time.
This shows the case for reform, Mr Neilson says.
Most businesses and New Zealanders want proposals to be verified for the management of their environmental affects.
“Time wasting activity by councils undermines support for the Resource Management Act (RMA) which is designed to ensure our growth goes hand-in-hand with an improved quality of life here.”
When the Greater Wellington Regional Council and Hamilton City can achieve 99% on time processing, and four councils 100%, it is clearly possible to comply with the law’s 20-day processing requirement, Mr Neilson says.
“The Business Council has been pressing for improved consenting performance for years. The delays come at a huge cost to communities, businesses, jobs and the economy. That’s totally unnecessary. For business, time is money and unnecessary delay puts costs up for everyone.”
The Kāpiti Coast District Council had lifted its percentage from 75% at the previous survey to 99% resource consent applications
processed on time.
