If you (or any other affected persons) decide not to give your written approval, the council will notify you of the application. This means you, and other affected persons who have not given written approval, can make a submission on the application.
If any submitter or the applicant wants to be heard, there will be a hearing.
More information
To save the time and cost of notification, the applicant might decide to:
- withdraw the application
- change what is being proposed so a resource consent isn’t needed
- Change the application so you’re no longer an affected person.
It isn’t underhand or sneaky for the applicant to change the application so your written approval is no longer needed. It means they have accepted that the activity could have adversely affected you, and have changed it so this is no longer the case. If the applicant does change the application, it’s up to the council to decide whether you’re still an affected person.
What is a submission?
A submission is a written statement that supports or opposes an application, or is neutral about it. It can support or oppose part or all of the application, or simply provide additional information. A submission can also request conditions for the consent.
When you’re thinking about whether to give written approval, ask yourself whether you would want to make a submission if the consent was notified. If you don’t give your written approval and the application is notified, you don’t legally have to make a submission.
If you aren’t interested in making a submission, it is likely that the proposal isn’t too much of a concern for you, and it doesn’t really affect you. If this is the case, remember that refusing to give your written approval just creates a long and expensive process for the applicant.
More information
See more on...
What happens if I don’t sign?
February 2021
© Ministry for the Environment