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Building, Planning and |
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Development OverviewIf you are looking at this page, you are probably thinking of building or developing. The information you will find here outlines the required processes, or you can click the link on the right to view frequently asked questions. If you are still at the early stage of purchasing a property, we recommend you read the information about Land Information Memorandum (LIMs) and consider applying for a LIM before proceeding. If you are thinking of constructing a new building, you will probably need Building and/or Resource Consent. Consent may also be required for additions, alterations or renovations to existing buildings, including garages and carports. There are some exemptions, which are listed in ‘More information about Building Consents’. While your project is still in the planning stage, you must apply for a Project Information Memorandum (PIM). Go to topConcept development meetingIf your project is particularly large, complex or unusual in scope or design and you have a reasonably clear idea of what you want to do, Council can arrange for you to attend a Concept Development Meeting at a Service Centre. At this meeting you, your designer/architect and a team of relevant Council officers will get together to discuss your ideas and the scope of your proposed project to ascertain its feasibility before you embark upon the application process. This is not a replacement for the PIM process, but an overview which will help you decide whether you wish to proceed to the next step. This will enable you to discuss any uncertainties you may have and have our officers advise you of any additional information or processes required, for example, the need of a Resource Consent, what fees will be payable etc, and any by law changes that may affect the project. The Concept Development meeting is normally scheduled for half an hour, if the meeting takes longer, normal administration charges may be payable. Go to topPre-Application Vetting MeetingOnce you are confident that you have completed all the application form checklists required for your project, collected all the necessary supporting documents, you should arrange a Pre-Application Vetting Meeting. Council officers will then go through your application with you and your designer/architect to make sure that everything is in order. If there is anything incorrect or missing they will tell you and you will then be able to make corrections or provide the missing information before submitting your application, thus avoiding delays and possible extra expense later. Separate meetings may be scheduled for PIM, Building Consent and Resource Consent applications. Pre-Application Vetting Meetings are available at the Kaikohe, Kaitaia or Kerikeri Service Centres and bookings can be made at any Service Centre or by telephone; you will be asked at which of the three designated Service Centres you would like to have your Meeting. Council offers these meetings free of charge for the first half hour. Go to topApplications received by mail or over the counterApplications will be accepted “over the counter” at any Council Service centre, or by direct mail, however, you should note that applications submitted in this manner will still need to be vetted for compliance with section 45 of The Building Act 2004, by the Customer Services Building Support Officers. A preliminary check will occur at the Service Centre, but this is not a complete or comprehensive check of the application. This will ideally be done within 3 working days of receipt at any of the Far North District Council’s Service Centres. If for any reason, you are unable to take your application to Kaitaia, Kaikohe or Kerikeri for Pre-Application Vetting, you will have to sign a document that states you are aware that the application (and payments) will NOT be accepted until such time as the application has been properly vetted. This will also state that should there be any requirements missing from the application, it will result in the application being returned to either the Agent or Owner or both, with details of what further information or documentation is required to complete the application. This process will ensure better customer service for the Owner. Council’s policy is for the statutory 20-day period to start once the vetting for completeness has occurred. Please note that receipt of an application at a Council Service centre does not indicate its acceptance into the processing system. Go to topProject Information Memorandum (PIM)A PIM assists in establishing the feasibility of your project and is prepared by the Council to assist you with your building application. A PIM must be applied for before your Building Consent. A PIM is legally required for all building work except for demolition, minor plumbing and drainage consents and the installation of heating appliances. The Council cannot grant a Building Consent unless a PIM has been issued. Your PIM will provide information about:
The PIM provides confirmation that you may carry out the proposed work after you have received your Building Consent and on the condition that you meet all the requirements of your Building Consent, Resource Consent and any other necessary authorisations. Once you have received your PIM, you may make an appointment to attend a concept development meeting to determine what level of information you will need to provide when applying for Building Consent. Go to topBuilding Consent ProcessAfter your concept development meeting, you will be able to submit your Building Consent and any other required applications. You will need to be sure that you have included all the information and documents required. To help you with this, the application form includes checklists; please use them to ensure that you have left nothing out. On receipt of your Building Consent application and payment, we will carry out a full evaluation to ensure that all the proposed building work complies with the Building Act and the District Plan. Building work may not start until the Council issues your Building Consent and any other consents, such as Resource Consent, which may be required. The need for other consents will be assessed while your PIM application is being processed and you will be advised by letter if this should prove to be necessary. Building InspectionsOnce your Building Consent has been issued and building work has started, but before any of the work is covered or closed in, Building Officers need to make site inspections to ensure that the work complies with the Building Code. The Building Officer will inspect:
A detailed list of the required inspections will be provided as part of your Building Consent. If the building work does not comply, it will fail the inspection and the Council will issue a Notice to Rectify. This requires you to correct any work which has failed the inspection. Building Officers may also need to inspect other projects relating to liquor licensing, health standards and dangerous goods. Go to topCompliance Schedule Regime - Building Warrant of FitnessA Building Warrant of Fitness is a method of ensuring that building systems are maintained and inspected in a building, very similar to the WOF for vehicles. A building system can be a system like a lift, fire alarm, fire escape, air conditioner, automatic sprinkler, emergency lighting or automatic backflow preventer connected to a drinkable water supply etc. The systems will be inspected at the time of installation and the owner is responsible for keeping these systems in good working order and maintaining a safe and healthy building. The building owner is required to have the systems serviced, tested and maintained in accordance with the appropriate standards, and keep records of all work undertaken on the systems. The owner will probably require the service of an IQP/LBP (Independent Qualified Person/ Licensed Building Practitioner) to carry out this work on the owners behalf. The Council's role involves the issue of Building Warrant of Fitness’s and associated documents, maintains registers of IQP/LBP (to ensure that the IQP/LBP is suitably qualified) and auditing the building owners to ensure that records are kept of the servicing, testing and maintenance of the building systems. Go to topWeathertightness construction requirementsThere are Weathertightness construction requirements for building in the Far North District Council area. This information has been circulated around the district to builders, architects, suppliers and consultants and your building professional will be aware of them. A number of Councils, including the FNDC, have introduced a cavity system for all monolithic claddings, as a result of advice from industry experts and the intent of central government to deal with the issue of weathertight buildings. Given the latest developments, we can place some assurance on the ability of a cladding system that incorporates a cavity gap to act as an effective backstop in the event that a cladding should allow water penetration. It is our role to safeguard the interests of all parties involved in the construction of a building by ensuring compliance with the building code. Go to topCompletion of Building WorkOnce your building work has been fully completed the Council must be advised as soon as possible. To do this, complete the Advice of Completion of Building Work form which is enclosed with your application pack, and return it to the Council. You may then arrange for a final inspection with a Building Officer, who will issue a Code Compliance Certificate if the work complies with the Building Code. You have two years from the issue of your Building Consent to complete your building work and request your final inspection and Code Compliance Certificate. Go to topHazardous, Insanitary and Earthquake Prone BuildingsThe Building Act requires Council to develop a policy for dangerous, insanitary and earthquake prone buildings. This policy document incorporates all of the issues related to dangerous, insanitary and earthquake prone buildings, and has been broken into two sections for ease.
In general terms, dangerous buildings are those which are liable to collapse or to be a fire hazard with the potential to cause loss of life, whereas insanitary buildings have problems with moisture, drinking water or human waste disposal. The policy document sets out the policy by the three Northland District Councils, and has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Building Act. The policy is required to state:
Go to topResource Consent ProcessWhen do I need Resource Consent?You must apply for Resource Consent when you plan to carry out activities that are not generally permitted under the Far North District Plan and the Soil & Water Plan from the Northland Regional Council. Activities can be broken up into five different classes, ranging from those which have limited environmental impact to those with potential to pose a major risk. The particular class which your proposed activity falls into will determine:
The five classes of activity are, briefly:
Detailed information regarding the Management Approach to these activities is available (See More Information about Resource Consents) and a Resource Planner will be happy to examine your project and advise you into which class it falls. Go to topDifferent types of consentThere are three different types of resource consent which the Council deals with:
The type of consent you need to apply for depends on the exact nature of your proposed activity. In some cases, you may need to apply for more than one type of consent. We encourage you to make an appointment with one of our Resource Planners to discuss your project. There is no charge for the first half hour. Go to topEarthworks PermitControls on earthworks are listed in the District Plan. If the customer's project requires excavation or filling work it is advised that they obtain a copy of Council’s bylaw, Chapter 22, Control of Earthworks, to ensure that the work they are proposing to do does not require an Earthworks permit They may also need to obtain Resource Consent, depending on the zoning and on the scale and purpose of the excavations. Go to topSwimming PoolsA ‘swimming pool’ or ‘pool’ is any excavation, structure or product which may be used for swimming, paddling, bathing, or wading; it includes excavated, non-portable, spa pools. If you plan to build a swimming pool, you will need to obtain Building Consent, and possibly Resource Consent. If your pool requires 50 cubic metres or more of excavation you will need to apply for an Earthworks Permit. You must comply with both the Fencing of Swimming Pools Act and the Building Act and must meet the standards of the Building Code. Go to topThese keywords have been added to assist the search engine to find this page easily: Page updated: 16 May, 2008
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