Building consent fees to rise

Tasman District Council will increase the fees it charges for building consents from 5 January to meet rising costs associated with processing and checking consents.

The increase varies depending on the type of consent being sought. For example, building consent for a new single-storey residential dwelling with a floor area between 121 square metres and 250sqm will rise from $3050 to $3294.

Tasman District Council environment and Planning Manager Dennis Bush-King said he was aware the fee increase would affect the overall cost of building in Tasman District.

“No-one likes to pay more and we can understand that. But the reality is that at the moment we are not charging enough to cover our costs. If we don’t increase fees to meet the shortfall, the general ratepayer will end up subsidising those who are building and ultimately benefitting from the quality-control service we provide.

“It’s also worth bearing in mind that even after the increase, our building consent fees will still be lower than those charged by other councils. Fees for a single story-dwelling will be $3294 in Tasman, $3900 in Nelson and $4070 in Marlborough.”

A full list of the new fees will be available on our website in December.

ENDS

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