Types of monitoring

Every council is required to monitor the activity that a resource consent allows.

This involves checking:

• when consents have been ‘given effect to’ (the consented activity is under way)
• compliance with consent decisions and conditions
• the effectiveness of consent conditions
• the impact of consented activities on the environment.

The type and frequency of monitoring will vary. Some consents require only a minimal level, while others require regular site visits.

Councils may check on permitted activities to monitor compliance with, and assess the effectiveness of, plan provisions.

Permitted activities in plans may include conditions. In some cases, the conditions can be extensive, and non-compliance can seriously risk damaging the environment.

Factors that influence a council’s approach include:

• access to resources – often these may be limited, given the RMA does not generally provide for cost recovery for monitoring permitted activities
• local or emerging issues, or those seen as most important to the community
• the type of permitted activities to monitor, as plans vary between councils. For example, a certain activity may be permitted in some regions, but controlled elsewhere, and therefore require consent.

Councils frequently receive notifications of incidents (including complaints), which they have to investigate. This is also a form of compliance monitoring. When notified of potential non-compliance, they need to assess whether, in fact, it is non-compliance.

Notifications may relate to:

• activities that have resource consent (where conditions may not be met, or the activity or effects may be outside the scope of the consent)
• permitted activities (which may not meet the conditions)
• an environmental incident (for example, an oil spill in a harbour, paint in a stream).