Compliance, Monitoring, & Enforcement

Compliance and Monitoring Team

Our compliance and monitoring team helps to ensure the protection and enhancement of our district natural and built environments.

We achieve this through education, monitoring and enforcement of resource consent conditions, and compliance with the District Plan and Resource Management Act (RMA).

The team's functions include:

  • monitoring and enforcing land-use resource consent conditions
  • monitoring compliance with the requirements of the Waimakariri District Plan
  • monitoring compliance with the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA)
  • responding to and investigating District Plan related and resource consent related complaints
  • working with site owners and the general public as to their obligations under the Waimakariri District Plan and/or resource consent

When a resource consent is granted it may be subject to specific conditions.  These can be wide ranging and cover many aspects. Council’s monitoring officers check that all of the conditions outlined in resource consents are complied with throughout the development and for the life of the consent.  Some typical conditions relate to:

  • building & structure site location
  • car parking layout
  • landscaping requirements
  • hours and conditions of operation

Non-Compliance

There are a range of non-compliance activities requiring investigation.  Some of the more common ones include:

  • Non-complying home based retail activities
  • signage on private land
  • recession plane and setback infringements
  • non complying earthworks
  • noise related activities

Note that the retail, signage, structure set-back and many other provisions, are found in the Waimakariri District Plan and are dependent on the Zone in which the subject site is located.

Enforcement

Enforcement action can be taken in cases of non-compliance with the Resource Management Act, a resource consent condition, or a District Plan rule.

There are a number of enforcement options available to Council. The decision about which option to use is based on:

  • the nature and scale of the non-compliance
  • effects generated
  • perceived level of deterrence required