Anyone applying to Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) for a resource consent involving earthworks will need to provide more information earlier in the process. This is so the process in the district aligns with Otago Regional Council’s (ORC) new requirements as well as best practice in other districts across Aotearoa New Zealand.

QLDC Resource Consents Manager Fiona Blight said the changes, which come into effect on 3 October, will involve applicants submitting a draft Environmental Management Plan (EMP) at the processing stage rather than solely at the post-approval stage as is the case currently.

“We recognise this is a significant shift in current practice which in some cases may require applicants to involve contractors earlier in their planning. As we transition to the new system we may ask current applicants and those lodging in the meantime for additional information.”

“The changes are necessary to ensure QLDC can assess potential adverse effects, and the methods proposed to mitigate these, during the application stage of the resource consent process.”

“We are also undertaking a review of our EMP guidelines relating to earthworks as part of these latest changes but the current version should be used until these are published,” said Ms Blight.

She added QLDC and ORC have been working collaboratively to reduce overlap and introduce more efficient ways of working in this space. These include joint site visits at both the application processing and compliance monitoring stages, having EMPs peer reviewed by the same expert for both councils, achieving greater consistency in consent conditions, and agreeing a joint approach to compliance to avoid unnecessary monitoring.

Full details of the changes can be found in the resource consents section of the Council’s website. An updated land use resource consent application form (Form 9) is also available online and should be used for all new applications.

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