Consents and Compliance
Horizons Regional Council is responsible for promoting sustainable behaviours towards natural resources. The Resource Management Act and Horizons' One Plan contain rules and guidelines to manage the natural and physical resources of the Horizons Region. These rules outline what activities are allowed without resource consent from Horizons, and what activities require resource consent.
Our consents and compliance mahi has five aspects:
Advising
Our consents staff provide one hour of free advice to people wishing to apply for resource consents, and technical advice about other matters.
Other Horizons teams outside of our Consents and Compliance staff – the Rural Advice and District Advice teams – also provide information and advice which can help people with consent applications and compliance.
Processing
We use consents to mitigate and manage any possible harm activities could have on our communities or the environment.
Monitoring
We monitor activities to make sure they don’t have unexpected negative effects on the environment.
Responding
We respond to reports of alleged environmental non-compliance and pollution incidents.
Enforcing
Where required, we consider all available options to ensure compliance with the Resource Management Act 1991, One Plan, resource consents, and national regulations and standards.
Help with consents
Need to apply for a consent? Learn more, including if your activity may not need a resource consent.
Help with Compliance
If you need clarification about your obligations as a consent holder, be sure to get in touch.
Help with pollution
Think you’ve seen pollution to air, land or water in the Horizons Region? Contact our Pollution Hotline 24/7, 365 days of the year on freephone 0508 800 800 or by sending us an email.
Resource Management Act amendment update
We will contact consent holders who are affected by the recent changes after the 2025 Christmas/New Year break.
If you have any other questions regarding these changes, then please get in touch with the Consent Team by either emailing consents.enquiries@horizons.govt.nz or calling freephone 0508 800 800.
Consent Duration Amendment
If you have a consent that will expire before 31 December 2027, the expiry date will be extended to that date. You can continue to operate under your existing consent, and you will need to continue to comply with the conditions of that consent.
If you have already lodged a renewal application with existing use rights, and we haven’t completed processing yet, your existing consent is now reinstated and extended until 31 December 2027.
Lodged a renewal application recently?
If you have lodged a renewal consent application, you will still receive the automatic extension to your existing consent. However, you will have the following choice to make:
continue with your current application and the process continues as normal; or
withdraw the application and continue to operate under your existing consent with the new expiry date.
Thinking of withdrawing your renewal application?
If you decide to withdraw your application, there are important things to keep in mind:
If your replacement application is for more than what’s covered by your existing consent, you will still need a new consent for the additional activities.
You may need to apply for a new replacement application before your existing consent expires on 31 December 2027.
Apply for a consent
Find all the forms you need to apply for a consent, as well as information about if you need a consent.
Compliance
Our compliance staff help the community to meet rules and regulations through compliance monitoring, education, advice, and – if required – investigations and enforcement.
Engaging with tangata whenua
Get helpful information on how best to engage with iwi and/or hapū when applying for a consent.
Publicly notified consents
Find out more about consent applications that are publicly notified. They may be at various stages of the process, from taking submissions to being granted.
Forestry
Learn more about forestry across the region and how to remain compliant with relevant rules and regulations.
District Advice & Land Use Guidance
Our District Advice team gives information and advice to people about natural hazards and One Plan requirements.
One Plan
The One Plan is the “one-stop shop” resource management planning document for the Horizons Region.
National Planning Regulations
Information from the Ministry for the Environment about relevant Acts, Bills, National Environmental Standards and National Policy Statements.
Urban Development
Urban development plays a vital role in shaping the future of our communities.
Farmer's Toolkit
Here is a helpful place to find information you’ll need if undertaking farming activities, including useful links and answers to frequently answered questions.