Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Certificate of Title and where can I obtain a copy?
What is a LIM?
What is the difference between a LIM and a PIM?
How much does it cost to apply for a resource consent?
How are resource management complaints dealt with?
A Certificate of Title is a formal document that records information and transactions concerning a particular parcel of land. The document will be headed by a unique ‘identifier,’ and documents the current owner, legal description and size of the parcel of land. The title will also record any easements, encumbrances, consent notices or other types of ‘interests’ that may pertain to a parcel of land. Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) maintains a register of all property and land records as per the Land Transfer Act 1952. The following link will direct you to the online land register maintained by LINZ where you can download documents relating to a parcel of land (http://www.linz.govt.nz/survey-titles/land-titles-plans/index.aspx). The LINZ website contains helpful instructions to download documents which can be downloaded for a minimal fee. Alternatively you can contact your solicitor for a copy of your title.
A LIM or Land Information Memorandum is a document that can be prepared on request by a local authority and which provides information on all the records held by that authority in relation to a particular property. It is recommended that any prospective purchaser seeks to obtain a LIM for any property they are interested in buying. For more information on obtaining a LIM report and what information is included in a LIM report can be found here.
While a LIM provides retrospective and current information from Council records relating to a particular property, a PIM or Project Information Memorandum is a report which provides information relevant to a new building proposal.
A PIM provides information likely to be relevant to the proposed building work including a check of the proposal against the District Plan to ensure all aspects of the project are in compliance with planning rules and requirements. It is recommended a PIM be obtained as early as possible as this may prevent delays at building consent stage if the final designs are found to be in breach of Council's District Plan rules. More information on how to obtain a PIM can be found here (PDF, 16 KB).
Processing costs for resource consents vary and are dependant on a range of factors, most significantly the time required to process the application by the processing officer or planning consultant (if used). Other costs may include time spent by Council Development Engineers and Support Officers in providing advice or administration support for the application.
An initial deposit is required in order to lodge an application for resource consent. An applicant will later be invoiced for the balance of the processing costs. These costs are time based and can be viewed here. In the case of subdivision applications, surveyors have their own separate charges in addition to the Council's fees and you should see a surveyor in order to establish their likely charges for your proposal.
To get more details about the cost of applying for a resource consent visit Planning - Fees and Charges
Section 35 of the Resource Management Act details the duty for local and regional authorities to gather information, monitor and keep records. Under subsection 5(i) Council is obliged to keep a summary of all written complaints received in relation to alleged breaches of the Act and the District Plan, in addition to information on how it dealt with each complaint. Depending on the nature of the complaint the Council Enforcement Officer may visit the site to observe any breach. There are a several different means available to Council Officers for dealing with complaints and ensuring that appropriate remedial action is taken.
To report a complaint concerning a potential breach of the Act or District Plan please contact the Planning Department on (06) 366 0999.