The first edition of our quarterly newsletter covering all things planning policy, resource consents and development engineering in the Queenstown Lakes District
Welcome to the very first edition of "Planning Matters"!
For those who don’t know me, I’m Dave Wallace, Planning and Development General Manager here at QLDC. I’m delighted to launch this newsletter as your go-to source for the latest and greatest in resource consenting, development engineering, and district planning here in the Queenstown Lakes District. Whether you're a seasoned developer, an aspiring planner, or simply passionate about shaping our communities, I hope this newsletter will keep you informed about key updates, emerging trends, and practical insights to help you to navigate the busy and evolving landscape of resource management.
We are always looking for ways to improve the way we do things and if you have any suggestions or comments on how we can make Planning Matters more relevant or provide more value to you, then please get in touch at letstalk@qldc.govt.nz and share your suggestions!
So, let’s dive in and make planning matter together!
You’re invited to connect with us
We’d like to invite all industry stakeholders to an afternoon to connect with our Planning & Development department’s Resource Consenting and Development Engineering leadership teams.
Our last industry connection event in March this year was productive and informative, and we're looking forward to catching up again at the end of October and start of November.
What to expect:
These events, hosted in both Wānaka and Queenstown, will provide an opportunity for professional networking, and for you to share your thoughts and industry insights with us. It's a great opportunity to foster a collaborative approach between the wider planning and development industry and Council.
We'll be sharing what we've been up to since our last event in March and briefly present on key areas of focus at QLDC. We hope to see you there!
Event details:
Wānaka
Date: Wednesday 30 Oct
Time: 3.00pm – 5.00pm
Location: Wānaka Community Hub in the Auditorium
Queenstown
Date: Thursday 7 Nov
Time: 3.00pm – 5.00pm
Location: Queenstown Events Centre - Function Room
Please RSVP to kirsten.wise@qldc.govt.nz with your name and which event you'll be attending.
The rules around residential flats
Ever thought about creating additional small-scale accommodation on your property?
If so, you’ll be pleased to know District Plan rules in the Queenstown Lakes District allow for residential flats that can be rented by others, or for extended family to live in. A residential flat is an additional unit smaller than the main house. There are more specific definitions and rules which may apply depending on where your property is located.
Known as ‘granny flats’ by some, residential flats help to increase the supply of affordable housing options and have recently been the focus of a proposal by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) to make it easier to build small, self-contained and detached houses on property with an existing home on it.
If you’re interested in whether a residential flat may work on your property, have a look at the definitions and rules on our ePlan or get in touch with the Duty Planner.
Shining a light on solar panels
Solar panels are an increasingly popular way to generate renewable onsite electricity, and for those thinking about tapping into the power of the sun, there are some District Plan rules that you may need to consider.
Depending on the zone of the proposed solar installation, there are rules relating to the colour of the panels, how high above a roof they sit, where they’re attached, and a few other requirements too.
There are also a few visually sensitive locations where solar panels automatically require resource consent.
If you’re planning to put the sun to work at your property, be sure to check out our Solar Panel Factsheet by following the link below or get in touch with Council’s Duty Planner service.
Urban Intensification Variation hearings coming next year
The National Policy Statement – Urban Development (NPS-UD) directs QLDC to enable building heights and housing density appropriate for an area’s urban form, and Council’s Planning Policy team is currently working on changes to the Proposed District Plan to give effect to the requirements of Policy 5 – Urban Intensification.
QLDC’s Urban Intensification Variation was publicly notified in October 2023 and received 1266 formal submissions. As required by the RMA, a summary of submissions was notified in August 2024 and 104 further submissions were received.
Council has formally appointed an Independent Hearings Panel with delegated authority to hear and make recommendations on the submissions received. The Panel’s expertise comprises an RMA lawyer, a Planner/Urban Designer, and a Councillor Commissioner.
The next steps for the Variation will be outlined in a ‘Minute’ from the Independent Hearings Panel, which we anticipate will be issued shortly. If you are a submitter on the Variation, you will receive the Minute directly to your inbox or address for service. The Minute will include the dates for next year’s hearing.
A warm welcome...
We’re excited to welcome Jacques Jansen van Rensburg to our Wānaka Resource Consent team. Joining us as Team Leader, Jacques brings years of industry experience to the role along with a passion for urban planning. He has made the move down south from Auckland, where he was a team leader at Auckland Transport in the resource consent space, followed by a stint as the Auckland Planning Manager at a national consultancy. Originally from South Africa, outdoors-loving Jacques is excited to now be settled in Wānaka with his family, where he’s looking forward to engaging with the local community and supporting sustainable urban outcomes.
Jacques is already proving a valuable addition, and we’re sure you’ll join us in welcoming him to the team!
...and a sad farewell
Last month we bid farewell to Alana Standish, who left our QLDC Resource Consent team after 11 years of service. Happily, she isn’t going far, remaining in Queenstown to work with a private consultancy. As the longest serving member of our Resource Consents team, Alana has done it all and worn many hats – working as a Planner, Senior Planner, Team Leader, and Acting Manager. She’s been involved with notified applications, hearings, court mediation, and presenting evidence at Environment Court.
Alana has processed almost 500 applications to date, she’s been the decision maker on more than 1,000 consents, and perhaps most impressive of all, is her feat of being the only QLDC planner to go airborne on a Cardrona mountain cart!
Alana has been an amazing mentor for a huge number of staff over the years at all levels and holds an incalculable amount of institutional knowledge. Her coolness, patience, level-head, open-mind, and empathy will be sorely missed by us all. We’d like to wish Alana all the best in her new role.
Resource consents - how to ace your application
We’re always striving to improve efficiency within our Resource Consent team and keep processing times down to a minimum. This is only achievable if we receive complete and robust applications which give our team all the information they need.
We’re here to help you get your resource consent application right the first time. It means you avoid the hassle of a back-and-forth over details, and it helps us in keeping timeframes to a minimum.
Click below to find guidance on how to correctly name and upload your files, how to make payment, what forms you need to complete, what information you’ll need to support your application, and much more.
And if you’re in doubt, get in touch with our Duty Planner.
Meet a Duty Planner
Megan Phillips is one of our hardworking and helpful Duty Planners who are available for 10 minutes of free assistance with:
- Confirmation of the zoning of a property
- District Plan rules, objectives and policy interpretation
- The resource consent process
- Providing assistance in relation to a s37 notice on a building consent
- Help navigating eDocs
- How to find info on completing applications
When asked what she enjoys most about working as a Duty Planner, Megan explains
“The planning world can be a confusing place and seriously complicated for those without some form of experience in the industry. I enjoy helping people in our community feel less overwhelmed when trying to figure out what they’re permitted to do on their property. It’s really rewarding to discuss different parts of the District Plan with people, to see their confidence grow, and to know they’ll be able to explore it on their own in future.”
Our Resource Consent Planning Officers and Planners all assist in responding to queries received to our Duty Planning inbox. It's a service targeted at those members of our community who have limited knowledge on the planning requirements when undertaking development, but our Duty Planners are also happy to assist people who work in the development space. Don’t forget though, they cannot provide legal advice (you'll need to get in touch with a lawyer for this), advice on the likelihood of obtaining resource consent, or detailed information on what consents are required (we recommend reaching out to a local planning consultant for this).
If you have a resource consent in processing and you want to raise concerns about the process being undertaken, your first port of call should be one of the Resource Consent Team Leaders or Resource Consents Manager.
Is your head scrambled by subdivision?
Subdivision can be complicated, even for those within the planning and development world. Click the image on the right to access our handy new subdivision flowchart which steps you through the process, from resource consent application to titles being issued.
If you have subdivision queries, reach out to the Duty Planner.
Development timeframes
You asked and we listened! Following on from feedback received during our last industry connection event in March 2024, we’re happy to share some updates on the timeframes for processing engineering acceptance and subdivision applications.
Over the months of July and August, our Engineering Development team received 219 applications across resource consent engineering, engineering acceptance, and subdivision 224c. Over those two months we processed and completed 206 applications.
Currently, most engineering acceptance applications are taking less than 20 working days to process, while most of the more complex subdivision 224c applications are falling into the 20-50 working days timeframe for processing. Please note the reported working days is the total working days from Council accepting the application to completing, which includes the time with both Council and the Applicant or Agent replying to queries.
You can help us keep processing timeframes low by lodging thorough applications. Guidance on how to do this can be found on our application forms and checklists. When we receive applications that are complete, with all condition requirements met, they should take under twenty working days to process.
Get the seal of approval for your road
Sealing season is now upon us with the arrival of (what's supposed to be) warmer and drier weather across the district. Click on the image below for a reminder of what you need to do to get Council’s seal of approval for your works.
If you have any questions relating to road sealing, please contact our Infrastructure Development Engineering Manager.
