Penalties

Kā whiu

Find out about the penalties you might face if you begin activity without a resource consent.

  • If your project needs a resource consent and you start work without one, or you don’t comply with your resource consent, you’re committing an illegal offence. 

    The penalties range from a $300 fine to criminal prosecution. 

    Penalties include: 

    • Infringement Notices are a monetary fine imposed on individuals and/or companies where an offence under the RMA has occurred.

    • An Abatement Notice is a formal, written direction that there has been a contravention of the RMA. These may be issued where the consent holder is required to stop work or take action to comply with the RMA or a resource consent condition.

    • An Enforcement Order is an application from QLDC to the Environmental Court requiring the consent holder to stop work or take action to comply with the RMA or a resource consent condition.

    • Prosecutions are legal proceedings under the RMA where the matter is sufficiently serious to warrant the intervention of criminal law, as well as the evidential and public interest tests being met.

    QLDC’s Enforcement Strategy and Prosecution Policy (ESPP) sets out the general principles that guide QLDC in relation to its regulatory functions. Any enforcement action taken for a breach under the RMA will ultimately be determined in accordance with the ESPP.

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  • Before you apply for a resource consent, get in touch with our Duty Planner. 

    It's an opportunity to talk through your proposal before you submit a resource consent application. 

    We'll be able to clarify whether your activity requires a resource consent and alleviate the possibility of being charged penalties at a later date. 

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  • Resource consent applications can be very complex. Depending on the project, they might need a lot of technical detail too. We recommend that you use a planning consultancy or independent surveyor to apply for resource consent for you.  

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Contact us

For any resource consent penalty queries, please email: rcmonitoring@qldc.govt.nz