Faster consents may be a mirage

New Government regulations aimed at speeding up the resource consent system could lead to an increase in declined applications, the Queenstown Lakes mayor has warned.

Under a draft policy released last month councils would have to give a 25 per cent discount on fees for a one-week delay in processing resource consents, followed by an extra 5 per cent for every extra week, up to 80 per cent.

Councils would also only be given one chance to request additional information while the process was put on hold.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Clive Geddes said the proposal was flawed and councils often had to ask for more information because of the poor quality of applications.

The new measures would lead to authorities across the country declining applications unless they were perfect, he said.

"Any discount applied to any one applicant is simply going to be paid for by all of the other applicants or by the ratepayer at large and if Government think that will drive efficiencies in consent processing I'm afraid they're very much mistaken."

But Queenstown developerAlaistair Porter said the law change was "entirely appropriate" and delayed consents were a problem across the country.

Consent applications were supposed to be completed in 20 working day but it was not unusual for them to take three to six months, he said.

Closing the loophole allowing councils to extend the process by asking for extra information was also welcomed, as it was often a waste of time, Mr Porter said.

Development and growth would increase the rating base and ease any extra costs on the council, he said.

Developer David Broomfield also welcomed the measures but said the changes may be too little too late. Most overseas investors were no longer looking at the area because of excessive red tape, he said.

Last week a group of three overseas shareholders from two different investment groups who were planning to invest in a Mt Dewar development put the project on hold because they had "had enough" of the process, he said.

Mr Broomfield said he himself had pulled back from about 50 per cent of his development work and was looking at other business options.

Lakes Environmental chief executive Hamish Dobbie said he was positive about any move to streamline the consent process but had some concerns. There was no differentiation between simple and more complex consents and notified and non-notified consents, which could be difficult to complete in the time frame, he said.

The changes are expected to be introduced from July 1.

ON TIME?

Going Up Gore District Council 2007-2008 consents processed on time – 81 per cent 2007–2008 ranking – 36th 2005–2006 consents processed on time – 79 per cent 2005–2006 ranking – 56th Queenstown Lakes District Council 2007–2008 consents processed on time – 76 per cent 2007–2008 ranking – 48th 2005–2006 consents processed on time – 62 per cent 2005–2006 ranking – 65th Clutha District Council 2007–2008 consents processed on time – 75 per cent 2007–2008 ranking – 49th 2005–2006 consents processed on time – 69 per cent 2005–2006 ranking – 58th Environment Southland 2007–2008 consents processed on time – 74 per cent 2007–2008 ranking – 51st 2005–2006 consents processed on time – 68 per cent 2005–2006 ranking – 61stGoing Down Invercargill City Council 2007–2008 consents processed on time – 81 per cent 2007–2008 ranking – 38th 2005–2006 consents processed on time – 91 per cent 2005–2006 ranking – 22nd Central Otago District Council 2007–2008 consents processed on time – 72 per cent 2007–2008 ranking – 57th 2005–2006 consents processed on time – 90 per cent 2005–2006 ranking – 28thSource – Environment Ministry

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