How long should a resource consent take? Understanding the consent clock
One of the most common questions we're asked is "how long will my consent take?" The honest answer is that it depends, but the law sets clear limits on how long a council can take, and knowing how those limits work helps you plan your project, your finance and your build programme with confidence.
The statutory timeframes
Under the Resource Management Act, councils must process and decide applications within set timeframes, measured in working days:
- Non-notified applications: 20 working days, or 50 working days if a hearing is held
- Limited notified applications: up to 100 working days where a hearing is held
- Publicly notified applications: up to 130 working days where a hearing is held, roughly six months
Most residential and small-scale applications are non-notified, so the 20 working day timeframe is the one most people will deal with.
Why "20 days" is rarely 20 days
Working days aren't calendar days, and several things affect the count:
- Weekends and public holidays don't count
- The Christmas shutdown: the period from 20 December to 10 January is excluded, so applications lodged in late November or December often take noticeably longer in calendar terms
- Further information requests (s92): if the council asks for more information, the clock can be paused until it's provided
- Time extensions (s37): councils can extend timeframes in some circumstances, for example where an application is complex or the applicant agrees
Put these together and an application that's "20 working days" can easily run to six or eight weeks or more on the calendar.
Our free consent timeframe calculator
To take the guesswork out of it, we've made a free online calculator available at calculator.inovo.nz. Enter your lodgement date, any periods where the clock was paused, any s37 extensions and your decision date (actual or expected). It will give you an accurate working day count and show where your application sits against the statutory timeframe.
It's useful at the start of a project for programming, and part way through to check whether a council is on track.
A note on the RMA reforms
The resource management system is changing. A transition period begins on 30 October 2026, and some processes will change as the new legislation comes into effect. Keep an eye out for updates through our web articles.
Need help?
The calculator is a guide, not a substitute for project-specific advice. If you're planning a development, or your consent is taking longer than expected, get in touch with Inovo's planning team. We can help you plan realistic timeframes, put together a complete application that avoids information requests, and keep things moving with council.
Here's our earlier article on Resource Consent Timeframes and Fee Discounts
And somee other topics that might be interesting to you:
What Can You Build On Your property in Auckland? Understanding the Unitary Plan
National Policy Statement for Natural Hazards
Disclaimer
This article contains general information and opinion based on our expertise. It is provided free of charge and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. The information within it was up to date at the time of publishing.
Have you got further questions about this topic or our other services?
We are always happy to help – drop us an email rmplanning@inovo.nz, or phone us on 020 4000 0294.
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