Consents: New Fines For Slow Consenting Councils
March 2nd, 2010
Local bodies failing to process resource consent applications on time will be slapped with a 25% penalty, ratcheting up at the rate of 5% a week for every week an application remains outstanding, under proposals from Environment Minister Nick Smith. Consultation on the penalties regime is under way now, for implementation on July 1. A report last year found 31% of resource consents were processed late and another 28% required time extensions, and this problem has worsened over the last decade.
Smith says “this new policy…is designed to reverse this trend and get councils focused on providing a timely service.” The suggestion is councils must provide a discount of 25% for a consent one week late, with an additional 5% per week up to a maximum of 80%. The regulations also set out procedures for determining fault, and definitions to ensure the incentives are workable.
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