Development Consents Monitoring
Local authorities are made responsible by the Resource Management Act (RMA) for the monitoring of:
- resource consents
- effectiveness of plans such as district plans and policy statements
- overall state of the environment.
The RMA doesn’t specify the actual extent to which monitoring must take place but it must be an ongoing process that is enough to ensure that authorities are fulfilling their duties under the Act.
Why monitor resource consents?
Monitoring resource consents enables the Far North District Council to determine if resource consent holders are fulfilling the conditions of their consent. It also enables the Far North District Council to keep tabs on the impact of development on the environment.
How is monitoring carried out?
Although the Far North District Council is responsible for ensuring that resource consents are monitored it may not choose to carry out the monitoring itself. Generally speaking, the nature and scale of a particular development will determine who undertakes the monitoring and the extent of monitoring carried out.
Some developments will involve routine inspections by the Monitoring Officers, while in other cases the council may require the consent-holder to carry out their own monitoring as a condition of the resource consent being granted.
For developments with major environmental effects a management plan may be required detailing:
- management of the operation,
- contingency and precautionary measures, and
- general monitoring activities.
What happens if conditions aren't met?
Various actions may be taken by local authorities if the conditions of a resource consent aren’t being met. Depending on the circumstances, these include issuing:
- an abatement notice – this is essentially an official warning that the RMA is being contravened, or
- an enforcement order - Court-backed order demanding compliance, or
- an instant fine.
Severe breaches of the Resource Management Act or the conditions of a resource consent can result in the courts prosecuting and the imposition of a heavy fine.
Click here to view the Abatement Notice Brochure
Page created/updated: 8 May 2009 at 9:15 am
