It is important to understand the proposed plan and how
it might affect you.
Your submission should be concise but cover
all the points that you wish to make. At the hearing or if you appeal the decision
you are limited to the scope of your original submission so it is important
to be broad rather than narrow and strict rather than lenient. You can always
"soften" the relief that you asked for later but it is not possible
to tighten it.
Use examples where you can, especially if
you are requesting that the council amend or substitute the provisions. Your
submission should give the decision-maker enough information to justify the
decision that you are asking them to make.
Your submission, which must be in writing,
must follow the form that is prescribed in the Resource Management Act. The
form requires that you include the following information:
The name of the local authority.
The name of the proposed plan.
Your full name, address and telephone and/or fax number.
The specific provisions of the proposed plan to which
your submission relates.
Whether you support or oppose those provisions and the
reasons for your position.
The decision or conclusion you would like the council
to reach (in as much detail as possible).
Whether you want to speak at a hearing in support of
your submission.
Whether you will consider a joint case at a hearing with
others who have lodged similar submissions.
You must sign and date your submission.
After submissions have been received, council
staff prepare a summary of them. You then have an opportunity to make a further
submission (20 working days after the summary of submissions being publicly
notified). Where new issues are raised or amendments sought in others’
submissions that you did not anticipate, you can lodge a further submission
in support or opposition to it. A further submission needs to include the following
information:
The name of the local authority
The name of the proposed plan
Your full name, address, and telephone and/or fax numbers
Which submission you oppose or support (state who made
the original submission, what it was on and the submission number, if known)
The particular parts of the submission that you support
or oppose and why
Whether you want to speak at a hearing in support of
your further submissions
Whether you will consider a joint case at a hearing with
others who have lodged similar submissions
You must sign and date your further submission.
You must send a copy of your further submission to the person
on whose submission you are commenting within five working days of sending your
further submission to the local authority.
Notified Plan or Policy Statement
Submissions
Further Submissions
Council Hearing
Council Decisions
Reference to Environment Court
Original submitters have a right to become a party (s271A)
People with an interest greater than the public generally have a right to be
heard (s274)
Mediation/Negotiation
Consent Order or Environment Court Decision
What are the key issues to look for?
What safeguards does that plan have to regulate/protect:
The farming of pest species (goat, deer and mustelids)
includes fencing standards and buffers around areas of significant vegetation.
Subdivision (intensity of land use, reserve strips, coastal
development, pets)
Indigenous vegetation and habitat of indigenous species
Riparian margins
Significant v non-significant indigenous species (assessment
of significance and level of protection)
Wetlands
Significant landscapes
Marine farming
Earthworks
Notification (does the plan remove the opportunity for
public comment on resource consent applications?)
