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Some activities need to have a resource consent from Environment Waikato to make sure they are not harming people or the environment. Many farming and agricultural activities in particular have the potential to affect our natural resources.
Resource consents have special conditions attached. Environment Waikato monitors the operation of resource consent activities to ensure these conditions are being met.
Land use consents
Different land uses can affect water quality, land stability and the incidence of flooding. Land use consents identify, control and minimise the impacts of activities on people and the environment.
You may need a land use consent if you want to:
- build or alter a bridge
- construct or alter a well
- construct or alter a culvert
- drain a wetland area
- drill, tunnel, excavate or otherwise disturb the bed of a river or lake
- carry out earthworks, roading or tracking
- erect an erosion control structure
- construct or alter a ford across a waterway
- carry out mining or quarrying activities
- reclaim or dredge the bed of a watercourse
- remove sand or gravel from the bed of a watercourse
- carry out soil cultivation
- construct or alter a stopbank
- plant or clear vegetation
- carry out a nitrogen discharging activity within the Lake Taupo catchment area.
Find out more about the impacts of land use on:
Contact us for further advice on activities that require a consent or to find out more about the consent process.
Water consents
Damming, diverting and taking water can affect people's ability to use the water, as well as affecting stream plant and animal life. Water consents identify, control and minimise the impacts of an activity on people and the environment.
You may need a water consent if you want to:
- take or use water from a river, stream, dam, lake or spring
- take or use water from an underground source (groundwater)
- take or use geothermal water, heat or energy
- construct a dam or stopbank and impound water behind the structure
- divert a watercourse.
Find out about the Waikato region’s rivers and ground water resources, and check out our information on geothermal resources.
Contact us for further advice on activities that require a consent, and find out more about the consent process.
Discharge consents
Discharge consents cover activities which discharge:
- into water
- into or onto land
- to air.
You may need a discharge consent if your activity is likely to:
- discharge potentially contaminated water (or water containing sediment) into water, or onto or into land
- discharge effluent into water, or onto or into land
- discharge treated or untreated wastes into water, or onto or into land
- involve landfills or cleanfills
- discharge water and associated contaminants into water, or onto or into land, in association with a geothermal take
- create offending odours
- involve intensive indoor farming, particularly of pigs or broiler chickens
- discharge dust, steam or other matter into the air.
Find out more about hazardous substances and contaminated sites in the Waikato region, and check out our information on applying effluent to land.
Find out about air quality issues in the Waikato region, including odour emissions. Also, check out how we monitor particles in air and take a look at our region's airsheds.
Our healthy rivers pages have information about the effects of discharges on stream life and water quality.
Contact us for further advice on activities that require a consent, and find out more about the consent process.
Coastal consents
Coastal consents help protect the resources in the Waikato region's coastal marine area (CMA). This is a defined area of foreshore, seabed, coastal water, and air space above the sea. Spring high tide lines (‘mean high water springs’) extend the CMA further inland if the line crosses a river.
You may need a coastal consent for an activity in the CMA if you want to:
- remove vegetation
- remove or introduce a plant species
- take or use water
- discharge potentially contaminated water or water containing sediment
- discharge treated or untreated wastes
- dam or divert water
- remove or deposit sand, shell, shingle or other natural materials
- erect, place, use or occupy space for a structure
- construct or alter a jetty or a marina
- build erosion protection walls
- operate a marine farm
- use a vehicle
- dredge
- carry out drainage works
- carry out a reclamation1
- carry out a declamation2.
Find out more about our region’s coasts and find out how beachcare groups work to protect and restore our beaches.
Contact us for further advice on activities that require a consent and to find out more about the consent process.
Activities that do not require resource consents
Resource Management Act (RMA)
You will not need a resource consent if your activity is expressly allowed under the Resource Management Act (RMA). For example, provided that there will be no adverse effects, the RMA allows you to take fresh water for your own reasonable domestic needs, drinking water for your animals and for fire fighting.
Environment Waikato's rules
Environment Waikato's Waikato Regional Plan and Regional Coastal Plan both have a range of ‘permitted activity’ rules. These rules allow specific activities that, if well managed, should have little (if any) effects on people or the environment. Permitted activity rules require you to meet a range of conditions. If you cannot meet these conditions then you will need a resource consent.
Permitted whitebait stands
Whitebait stand construction and use (55 kb, 7 seconds to download, 56k modem)
The placement, construction, alteration and use of a whitebait stand does not need a resource consent, as long as the stand works and complies with the conditions of Permitted Activity Rules 4.2.6.1 or 16.4.3 at all times. Rule 4.2.6.1 requires persons who wish to construct a compliant stand to provide details of the stand’s location to Environment Waikato. This form helps stand owners meet that requirement.
Permitted farm dairy wastewater discharges
Discharge of farm dairy wastewater to land
(52 kb, 7 seconds to download, 56k modem)
Farm dairy effluent that is spread or irrigated onto pasture does not need a resource consent, as long as the effluent management system and discharge comply with the conditions of Permitted Activity Rule 3.5.5.1 at all times. This form helps dairy farmers notify Environment Waikato that they are managing their wastewater in accordance with this rule.
More information
Report a pollution incident or illegal activity
Please let us know about any activity that may affect our region's coastal, water, soil or air resources. Use our online form to report the activity, or call Environment Waikato's Freephone 0800 800 401. Provide details about where and when the incident or activity took place and, if possible, the offender.
If you have any questions you can also phone consents staff during office hours on Environment Waikato’s Resource Use Freephone 0800 800 402.
Environment Waikato also manages navigation safety issues within the Waikato region. Check out our Navigation Safety Bylaw and our navigation safety application forms.
Footnotes
- Reclamation - deliberately filling in an area previously covered by tide, so that the filled area's surface is raised above spring high tide lines.
- Declamation - constructing a channel or basin that causes land previously exposed above the waterline to be covered by tide or salt water.