Information For Affected Persons
Are you being affected by another person’s resource consent?
If the Manawatū District Council considers you to be adversely affected by a Resource Consent proposal under the Resource Management Act, it is the applicant’s responsibility to seek your written approval to the proposed activity. If written approval is not obtained, the application may either be limited notified or publicly notified. There are, however, some types of applications that do not give rise to the “affected person” process.
If you have been identified as an affected party, the Applicant, or the Agent acting on their behalf, will contact you to discuss the proposal. If you agree with the proposal, then they will ask you to sign:
- plans outlining the proposed activity, and
- an affected person’s consent form.
It is important that you understand why your approval is being sought, and what effect the proposed activity will have on you and your property. It is your right to:
- question the applicant about the proposed activity, and
- seek further information about the resource consent process - and your part in it – from the Council or a planning consultant or solicitor.
It is important that you familiarise yourself with all the relevant documentation associated with the proposed activity, to ensure you understand how you may be impacted by the proposal. The Manawatū District Council cannot advise you whether you should or shouldn’t give your approval, however, we can provide information on the resource consent process.
If you are unsure about the proposal, then it would be beneficial for you to seek independent advice.
It is also important to note that once you sign an affected person’s consent form and a copy of the application, the Manawatū District Council cannot consider any adverse effects of the activity on you when reviewing the resource consent application.
What if I change my mind?
If you decide to withdraw your approval of the proposed activity, you can do so, but this must be done before the application has been considered by the Council. You can withdraw your written approval of the application by phoning or emailing the Planning team (06 323 0000 or planning@mdc.govt.nz).
The withdrawal of the consent may mean that the application has to be notified.
Can I change the proposal?
You are entitled to discuss the application with the applicant and seek possible solutions to any concerns that you may have. The applicant may be willing to negotiate and change the proposal to reduce its impact on you.
The Council only accepts unconditional approvals from affected persons, so you cannot make changes to the proposed activity by giving conditional or partial consent.
Any changes to the proposal must be incorporated into the plans and application by the person or parties making the application. Private agreements outside the scope of the resource consent application are sometimes entered into but as these are private, the Council has no power to enforce or monitor them.
What if I don’t approve?
If you do not agree with the proposed activity (and you are adversely affected by the application), the application will be notified.
If a resource consent application is publicly notified, it generally means details about that application are publicly advertised and sent to anyone who has been identified as being directly affected by the proposal, including any relevant interest groups and other organisations/persons as required by the Resource Management Act 1991.
This means that you will have the opportunity to formally lodge a submission on the proposed activity through the submission process.