What activities need a resource consent?

Land use consents

Different land uses can affect water quality, land stability and the incidence of flooding. You may need a land use consent to:

• carry out soil disturbance (earthworks), vegetation clearance, roading or tracking (Waikato Regional Plan, 5.1.4)
• build or alter a bridge (Waikato Regional Plan, 4.2.8)
• construct or alter a well (Waikato Regional Plan, 3.8.4)
• construct or alter a culvert (Waikato Regional Plan, 4.2.9)
• drain a wetland area (Waikato Regional Plan, 3.7.4)
• drill, tunnel, excavate or otherwise disturb the bed of a river or lake (Waikato Regional Plan, 4.3.4)
• place cleanfill onto land (Waikato Regional Plan, 5.2.5)
• erect an erosion control structure (Waikato Regional Plan, 4.2.15)
• construct or alter a ford across a waterway (Waikato Regional Plan, 4.2.11)
• remove sand or gravel from the bed of a watercourse (Waikato Regional Plan, 4.3.7)
• carry out soil cultivation near a watercourse (Waikato Regional Plan, 5.1.4)
• carry out a nitrogen discharging activity within the Lake Taupo catchment area

Water consents

Damming, diverting and taking water can affect people's ability to use the water, as well as affecting stream plant and animal life. You may need a water consent to:

• take or use water from a river, stream, dam, lake or spring
• take or use water from an underground source (groundwater)
• take and use water for dairy shed washdown and milk cooling
• take or use geothermal water, heat or energy
• construct or alter a dam or stopbank and impound water behind the structure (Waikato Regional Plan, 3.6.4)
• divert a watercourse (Waikato Regional Plan, 3.6.4)

Discharge consents

Discharging contaminants into the environment can affect water, air and soil quality. There can be serious impacts on the health and safety of people, animals and plants. You may need a discharge consent to:

• discharge stormater, or potentially contaminated or sediment-laden water into water, or onto or into land
• discharge farm animal effluent into water, or onto or into land (Waikato Regional Plan, 3.5.5)
• discharge treated human sewage onto or into land or water (Waikato Regional Plan, 3.5.7)
• discharge treated or untreated wastes into water, or onto or into land
• involve dumping or landfills (Waikato Regional Plan, 5.2.6 & 5.2.7)
• create odours
• involve intensive indoor farming of pigs, broiler chickens or mushrooms (Waikato Regional Plan, 6.1.5)
• discharge dust, steam or other matter into the air

Coastal consents

Coastal consents help protect the resources in the Waikato region's coastal marine area (CMA). This is a defined area of foreshore, seabed, coastal water, and air space above the sea. Spring high tide lines (‘mean high water springs’) extend the CMA further inland if the line crosses a river.  It may pay to seek advice as to the exact location of the CMA if you are seeking consent in that vicinity.

You may need a coastal consent to:

• remove or introduce plant life
• take or use water
• discharge potentially contaminated water or water containing sediment
• discharge treated or untreated wastes
• dam or divert water
• remove or deposit sand, shell, shingle or other natural materials
• erect, place, use or occupy space for a structure
• construct or alter a jetty or a marina
• build erosion protection walls
• operate a marine farm
• use a vehicle
• dredge
• carry out drainage works
• carry out a reclamation
• carry out a declamation