If you disagree with a decision
Under the Resource Management Act (RMA), you have the right to object to a decision we've made about your application or condition of your consent if it was:
- not publicly or limited notified, or
- notified, but either no submissions were received or no submitters wished to be heard, or any submissions that were received were withdrawn.
If your consent was notified and submissions were received and heard, you must appeal to the Environment Court.
You also have the right to object to extra costs we may charge for processing your application.
How to make an objection
All objections must be made in writing within 15 working days of the decision being made.
What to include
If your objection is about a resource consent decision or any conditions imposed, you'll need to submit a letter outlining what you object to and the reasons why.
If your objection is about additional fees, you'll need to submit this form:
Objection to additional resource consent fees (64KB PDF)
How to submit your objection
Submit your objection in writing by:
- emailing it to planning@wcc.govt.nz
- mailing it to Resource Consents, Wellington City Council, PO Box 2199, Wellington 6140
- taking it into our Service Centre.
Service Centre
What happens next
We will reply within 3 working days to let you know your objection has been received.
A Council planner will consider it and respond within 20 working days. If a resolution cannot be reached, we will prepare a report on your objection and provide a recommendation to either uphold or dismiss it.
It will then go to a hearing, where independent commissioners will make a decision. You will get a copy of our planner's recommendation report and at least 5 working days' notice of the date, time and place of the hearing.
The independent commissioner can dismiss or uphold your objection, either in whole or part. We will give you a decision on your objection in writing within 15 working days of the hearing.
If you're not satisfied with the outcome, you can appeal to the Environment Court.
How to appeal to the Environment Court
Appeals to the Environment Court can be made by:
- the applicant or consent holder
- anyone who made a submission.
You can appeal a decision made on all or part of the consent – for example:
- if we've declined the consent
- any conditions we've imposed.
You can't appeal:
- a decision for a boundary activity
- a decision for a subdivision consent or residential activity that was applied for before 30 September 2020.
You must lodge your appeal within 15 working days from when you received the decision on your consent.
Lodge your appeal or application - Environment Court of New Zealand
If our service hasn't met your expectations
Our Resource Consents team aims to act with integrity and provide consistent, efficient service that focuses on our customers' needs. If you have feedback about the way we've communicated with you or dealt with your application, we would like to hear from you.
Resource Consents team
Phone: 04 801 3590
Email: planning.admin@wcc.govt.nz