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Guidance notes and technical advice

Resource consents
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Applying for or holding a resource consent can be complicated, especially if your activity involves detailed rules and regulations.

To support you, we regularly create guidance notes that:

  • include technical advice explaining how we interpret laws and regulations, and/or
  • offer practical tips and suggestions for your application or consent holder responsibilities.

Please note: These notes do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. Please seek specific legal advice if you have legal questions or issues. We do our best to keep this information accurate and up to date.

We also strongly recommend you talk with us first before you start your resource consent application.

Select a topic below to learn more

  • The Government is undertaking a three-phase work programme to reform the resource management system.

    While phase three will replace the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) in its entirety, the Resource Management (Consent Duration) Amendment Act 2025 makes a targeted change to the RMA in the interim to extend the duration of many consents that would otherwise expire in 2026 and 2027, plus reinstating expired consents where replacement applications are currently in progress.

    This guidance document focuses on which consents are affected and what this means for affected consent holders.