5. Lodge my application

Putting together a consent application is complex; however, the clearer you describe what you want to do and where you want to do it, the easier the process of lodging an application will be.

The application process is outlined in detail below. You will need to use our application forms and possibly some of our online tools to help. You can also find out information on current resource consent fees and charges.

Once you feel your application is ready, please submit it with the initial payment via email, post or in person.

After you have lodged your application, we have 10 working days to let you know if you have given us enough information to proceed to the next step.

How to apply – check out these handy tips
Describe the activity
You must provide clear details of what you want to do and where.
The more information you are able to provide, the better understanding we will have of your proposal.
In particular, we require a map clearly showing the location of proposed works and a legal description of the site.
The description will depend on the activity, but in general, we need to know:
  • What you want to do
  • How you want to do it
  • Where you want to do it
  • When you want to do it
  • Why you want to do it
Describe the environment

We need to know where your proposed activity is related, in relation to nearby features.

For all applications:

  • Is the property registered on the Listed Land Use Register?
  • What is the distance to any significant environmental, historic or cultural sites?

You can check for these using the Canterbury Maps database and Canterbury Maps Biodiversity & Ecological database

Please also refer to the Ecological Criteria Guidelines. N.B. This report was prepared by Wildland Consultants under contract to Environment Canterbury and does not endorse this consultancy above any other for application of RPS criteria.


Research regional plans and rules

In general, for a new consent, you will need to: 

Provide an environmental assessment

Your Assessment of Actual and Potential Effects on the Environment (AEE) will need to include:

  • Identification of any affected parties
  • Effects on the environment
  • Possible ways of avoiding, remedying or reducing any adverse effect identified
  • Possible alternatives to the proposal
  • Positive effects.

Read the Ministry for the Environment guide. Please also refer to the Ecological Criteria Guidelines.

Search existing consents
Our consent search allows you to look at any resource consent document held by us.
Resource consents can be searched by number, holder, location, type and status.
Searching for existing consent applications for similar activities or locations can be used to identify how your application can best be written.

Useful tools

Consent search
You can search consents here.
Well search
Our well search displays a summary of information that we have on a specified well or bore. Click here.
Aquifer test guidelines
Information about testing aquifers and barometric pressure corrections. Review of aquifer tests - submission forms

Guidelines and analysis tools for reviewing aquifer tests, for proposed consents or for compliance with consent conditions

Well interference assessment tool
Our groundwater Well Interference Assessment tool is a web application that allows you to create a PRN file directly from our well and resource consent databases.
View instructions for the Well Interference Assessment tool.
IrriCalc
The Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan allows consent applicants to use a model to estimate a seasonal volume that complies with Schedule 10.

Use a model that has been field validated and shown to reliably predict annual irrigation volume within an accuracy of 15 per cent.

The annual volume calculated using the model shall be complaint with the following criteria:

  • an irrigation application efficiency of 80 per cent
  • a system capacity to meet peak demand (half a litre per second per hectare)
  • a nominal irrigation season from September 1 to April 30, and
  • demand conditions that occur in nine out of 10 years.

Download the IrriCalc Guidance Document (PDF File, 59.29KB) for detailed information.

  • Section 1 sets out the criteria and requirements for a model and its application to estimate seasonal irrigation water use and to set seasonal irrigation water use limits.
  • Section 2 is dedicated to providing guidance on how to calculate a farm's seasonal irrigation water limit using the IrriCalc maps.
  • Section 3 provides answers to some of the main questions associated with using the IrriCalc model.
Annual volume calculator
This is an Excel spreadsheet for you to calculate an annual volume for a specific area of irrigated land.
To use the calculator, you will need some specific technical information about your actual or intended irrigated area.
Whether you already have an existing consent for the area or your interest is in applying for a new consent, the valuation or legal description for all relevant land parcels will be helpful. Alternatively, you can search by entering the name of an adjacent road.
If you want to calculate the annual volume for more than one consent or if land parcels are geographically separate, you will have to run a separate calculation for each consent/land parcel.

You will need the following information from your pumping schedule:

  • The maximum volume (actual or intended) per Return Period. Return Period is the time (in days) between successive irrigations.
  • Length of return period (actual or intended).

To find this information:

  • Check the consent details sent to you from Environment Canterbury or search using our consent finder. 
  • The instructions on the use of the spreadsheet show how to determine the maximum volume if it is not explicitly stated in an existing consent.

You will also need to know:

  • the area (in hectares) to be irrigated
  • land-use type (actual or intended) e.g. arable, intensive pasture
  • Profile Available Water (PAW)
  • effective irrigation season rainfall.

To find this information:

Information on Profile Available Water (PAW) and effective irrigation can be obtained using Canterbury Maps.

To use the spreadsheet for calculation:

Irrigation restrictions
Use the table on our site here to find out about irrigation restrictions for a specific area.
Erosion and sediment control training
We hold training workshops, produced by us in consultation with the earthworks industry, to provide practical advice about on-site measures. These will help you meet resource consent conditions and prevent waterway and dust-related pollution.
With the help of our sponsors, Geofabrics, MBC and RST Environmental Solutions Ltd, we offer two training workshops led by Campbell Stewart. You can read more about him at SouthernSkies Environmental Limited where he is a director. 
Course 1: Introduction - For Earthworks Site Contractors
  • Course date: as needed

This is a one-day workshop for those who are involved or interested in the building, operation, maintenance or decommissioning of measures set out in erosion and sediment control plans. This workshop provides a background understanding of erosion and sediment control methods and the environmental effects of sediment.

To register: erosion.sediment@ecan.govt.nz
Course fee: TBC

Course 2: Introduction - For Consultants, Local Authority Staff and Earthwork Site Managers

  • Course date: as needed

This is a one-day workshop for consultants (who lodge consent applications for earthworks and stream works, prepare assessments of environmental effects and erosion and sediment control plans in support of these and who call for tenders for the approved works), site contract managers, local authority staff (involved with policy, consenting and compliance associated with earthworks and stream works) and those wanting a detailed working knowledge of erosion and sediment control.

This workshop provides a background understanding of erosion and sediment control methods and the environmental effects of sediment. Time is also spent visiting a greenfield development site and preparing an erosion and sediment control plan.

To register: erosion.sediment@ecan.govt.nz
Course fee: TBC

 Conditions of training courses: 

  • The site visit is reliant on availability and is not guaranteed. We will always do our utmost to include a site visit but if situations arise beyond our control then this may not be part of the workshop.
  • Registration confirms placement for attendee in the required workshop. If for any reason the attendee is unable to attend the workshop then a minimum of 48 hours notification to the workshop organiser is required. The ideal situation (should the registered attendee not be able to attend the workshop) would be that the registered attendee arrange a substitute to take the original attendee's place.
  • Cancellation of an attendee outside of the 48 hours minimum notification without replacement will incur the schedule workshop fee.
  • Attendance is limited to 20 people at each workshop.

Builder's pocket guide

People who are constructing houses on small sites or companies managing the construction of commercial sites can refer to the builder's pocket guide for small sites (PDF File, 1.78MB).

Erosion and sediment control guidelines

The erosion and sediment control guidelines is a set of guidelines for anyone involved with any type of earthworks on the land or near water—projects large and small. They provide guidance for minimising the adverse effects of erosion and sedimentation while planning, constructing and maintaining a project. 

Online geographic information systems at Canterbury Maps
Click on Canterbury Maps to find irrigated areas. Instructions can be found here. 

Resource Consent application forms

Resource consent application forms and associated documents are grouped by type below. Please contact us if you need help finding anything. Completed forms should be sent to the email address quoted on the application forms.

Dairy effluent discharge application forms

Discharge dairy effluent and to store dairy effluent  CON080 

Farming application forms 

Farming activities: Region wide – CON501

The CON501 application form is relevant to all region wide applications and must be accompanied by:

  • A Nutrient Management Planning Assessment
  • A rule assessment form (CON501A, CON501B, CON501C, CON501D CON501E) to demonstrate compliance with the relevant rule of the proposed activity.
  • When your property or farming enterprise includes land in more than one Nutrient Allocation Zone, a rule assessment form for each Nutrient Allocation Zone needs to be provided as the rules will apply only to the part of the property within that zone; and
  • Where no rule assessment form is available, please provide an assessment of the applicable rule relevant to the proposed activity.

Farming activities: Region wide – Red Zone – CON501A    

Farming activities: Region wide – Orange Zone – CON 501B

Farming activities: Region wide – Sensitive Lake Zones – CON501C 

Farming activities: Region wide – Green and Light Blue Zone – CON501D

Farming activities: Region wide – Environment Canterbury Equivalent Pathway – CON501E

Farming activities: Hinds Hekeao catchment – CON506

Farming activities: Selwyn Te Waihora catchment – CON508 

Farming activities: Selwyn Te Waihora catchment – CON509

Air (includes burners and outdoor burning)

Small scale burners outside Christchurch Clean Air Zone (CCAZ) – CON300

Authorisation of an ultra low emission burner/low emission burner or pellet burner – CON301

Discharge to air – spray coating – CON302 

Discharge to air: Crop residue burning – CON303

Water (includes take and use of groundwater)

Take and use of groundwater – CON200 

Discharges (wastewater and stormwater)

Discharge stormwater into land – CON060

Discharge stormwater into surface water – CON061 

Discharge of contaminants into land from an onsite wastewater system – CON070

Land use (gravel and bore permits)

Install or alter a bore – CON001

Land use including works in or within 7.5 metres of the beds of lakes and rivers – CON020

Extraction of gravel – CON050

Forms for all other activities

Application for resource consent – CON499 

Permitted activity forms

Application for a certificate of compliance – CON120 

Application for a certificate of existing use – CON121 

General process forms (transfer, name or address change, withdrawal, surrender)

Change of name for application in progress – CON500 

Written approval of persons likely affected – FORM8A

Withdraw application for a resource consent – CON530 

Transfer of resource consent – CON540  

Partial transfer of resource consent ground surface water – CON541A

Partial transfer of a discharge consent – CON541B

Partial transfer of resource consent – CON541C

Transfer of water permit to another site – CON542 

Full surrender of resource consent – CON550  

Partial surrender of resource consent – CON551  

Application to amend water metering condition and reduce rate of take on consent – CON552 

Change of address – CON560  

Change or cancel conditions – CON570

Information return forms (to comply with consent conditions)

Flowmeter and datalogger installation – CON580  

Flowmeter verification form – CON581  

Non-standard installation approval 

Open channel and partially filled pipe installation and commissioning

Bore log report 

Hearings forms

Submission on resource consent application – CON520

Submission on an application for a resource consent by a person on whom notice of the application has been served – CON521

Withdrawal of right to be heard – CON522 

Withdrawal of submission lodged – CON523 

  • Swing mooring, slipway and Navigation Safety Bylaw forms are in the Harbourmaster's Office section.
  • As further forms are developed, they will appear on this page. In the meantime, you may need a form which is only available directly from Customer Services. Please contact us if you have any questions.