RMA Planning

Strategy and positioning matter, alongside technical depth, especially where local context, statutory requirements and council expectations all shape the outcome. The Property Group has built its reputation working across the planning system to deliver great outcomes for our clients. 

Consent applications

Effective, timely planning advice and support navigating the complexity of resource management consent processes in an efficient and timely way.

Lack of clarity early at the start of the process can result in applicants spending time and money on inputs that might turn out to be unnecessary, such as surveying, landscape, engineering, or ecology. Or alternatively, not understanding the requirement for additional inputs early can delay projects.

If you require a resource consent our team will support you to identify issues and create a clear consent strategy early in the process, positioning your consent so you can progress with clarity and confidence.

How we work with applicants

The key is to get the right level of understanding at each phase of work to ensure that your time and investment is targeted at getting the best possible outcome. This is what a typical engagement can look like:

1. Initial conversation and sense check. The first step of working with our team – a conversation with your regional planning lead to help us to understand your project and likely consent pathway. This initial, informal conversation can give you a really high level view of where your consent is placed, and how we can help.

2. Feasibility and due diligence. A focused review against the planning framework to confirm regulatory requirements and the associated planning risks. This work can assist in shaping a proposal to achieve a more positive outcome, identify likely costs and timing for gaining a consent.

3. Pre-application engagement with council. Where necessary, we typically undertake early discussion with council to understand how provisions may be interpreted, what issues need to be addressed and what supporting information is likely to be required.

4. Application preparation. Preparation and lodgement of the application, with supporting technical inputs coordinated where required.

5. Processing support. Support through the council processing phase, including responses to requests for information, council discussions and site meetings where needed.

6. Post-consent support. Where appropriate, the project can transition into implementation support.

Council support

Whether your team needs additional capacity, independent input or practical support, we help councils exercise their duties across all aspects of RMA planning in a timely and efficient way without compromising quality.

How we work with councils

• Contracted processing capacity. Our planners process resource consents on your behalf, following your policies and processes. In this area we have significant experience across numerous councils nationwide. This includes “overflow assistance” in times of high consent volumes, providing dedicated senior planners to complex and large applications; and our accredited hearing commissioners making notification and substantive decisions for council under delegated authority.

• Council-wide planning support. Planning support for councils' own projects, from initial planning advice through to preparation of resource consents.

• Policy Planning, including plan changes and plan reviews, efficiency and effectiveness reviews through to draft plan development, engagement, notification, submissions, hearings and appeals. Many members of our team have prior experience working as managers and senior technicians in local authority planning teams, and we can offer significant capability in district plan changes and policy development. Our track record includes running whole district plan reviews for councils as well as targeted work on individual chapters and topic areas. Working alongside our internal Urban Regeneration staff, we can also undertake the early strategic urban planning and research that informs policy development.

Designations

Designation work often draws on both our planning and property expertise. For public infrastructure projects, The Property Group helps keep the statutory pathway, land requirements, and supporting inputs aligned from early strategy through to implementation.

Our long track record in land acquisition for public projects provides us with a significant advantage over our competitors in this area. Not only can we offer a superior understanding of these aspects to support notices of requirement and designations, but we also offer the required planning and property expertise under one roof.

Designation work needs a clear pathway from the outset, especially where site requirements, statutory processes and delivery timing need to stay aligned.

Our team helps shape the approach early, coordinate the right inputs, and keep the process moving through notice of requirement preparation, engagement, hearings and implementation.

Planning for reforms

As planning settings continue to evolve, we are helping clients take a pragmatic approach to reviewing processes, updating frameworks and preparing for what comes next.

While the detail is still developing, the direction will include longer-horizon spatial planning, stronger cross-regional coordination, clearer links between vision and implementation and more multidisciplinary ways of working.

These are areas in which The Property Group has a strong track record, through our planning, property, GIS and advisory work across New Zealand.

The latest reforms are emerging at a time when many planning teams are already carrying significant workloads.

Our goal is to work with councils to manage their current priorities while keeping an eye on upcoming changes in the planning framework.