Consent forms
When applying for resource consent you need to complete the Part A form plus any relevant Part B forms, and provide any other information requested on the forms (such as maps or management plans).
Your application must be submitted via email to esconsents@es.govt.nz, or posted or delivered in hard copy to Environment Southland.
All applications must be accompanied by the prescribed deposit shown on the Part A form. An application lodged without the required deposit will be returned if payment is not received within three working days. This deposit will go towards our costs of processing the application. If the full cost of processing the application is more than the deposit paid, you will be invoiced the outstanding costs. If the full cost of processing the application was less than the deposit, you may be due a refund.
Please note that annual administration and monitoring charges will apply after a consent has been granted.
Te Mana o te Wai and your consent application
In a consent application, you must also consider the hierarchy of obligations and demonstrate how you will ensure freshwater is managed appropriately for your activity.
It is important to actively engage tangata whenua to provide a comment on your application if the activity is occurring within or affecting a statutory acknowledgement area or more generally if your activity could affect the quality or quantity of freshwater.
Read more about Te Mana o te Wai here.
Part A form
This form must be completed and accompany all consent applications made to council. If you are applying for multiple consents, this form needs to be completed only once.
| Form | Part A form |
| Information | Must be used for all applications unless stated on Part B form. |
Part B forms
Building a large dam
| Information | We have transferred certain functions, duties and powers under the Building Act to Environment Canterbury. If you have a query about building/consenting a large dam, please visit the Environment Canterbury website. |
Burning for vegetation clearance
Coastal activities
| Forms | Application for a coastal permit Transfer ownership of a coastal permit Harbourmaster technical comment |
| Information | General information required in all coastal permit applications If you are applying for a consent to carry out an activity in a coastal area, please read the information on this page. You may need to seek the views of customary marine title applicants before lodging your resource consent application. If you're applying for an activity which may adversely affect navigational safety in the coastal marine area (CMA), we ask that you lodge a completed Technical Comment form from the Environment Southland Harbourmaster with your application, to ensure the application process is quicker. This is a request and not a requirement. |
Construct a culvert or bridge, or other in-stream works
| Forms | Consent for works in the beds or margins of watercourses or lakes Harbourmaster technical comment |
| Information | Culvert and bridge information Fish passage authorisation may also be required from the Department of Conservation for the following: - Existing culverts and fords that impede fish passage - New culverts or fords that have been constructed in a way that protects vulnerable species by impeding fish passage - Damming or diversion of water that may require a structure or device (such as a fish pass or screen) in the waterways to stop, allow or control the passage of fish through, around or past any instream structure. - Structural modification of an existing fish facility that already has approval under the Freshwater Fisheries Regulations 1983. To check if an activity is subject to the Freshwater Fisheries Regulations, please see the Department of Conservation website www.doc.govt.nz or email the Department at permissions@doc.govt.nz Note: the Freshwater Fisheries Regulations approval process is separate from, and may be in addition to, any resource consent that may be required for such structures under the regional rules. |
Construct a bore and undertake pump test
| Forms | Application to construct a bore (online) Bore construction report |
| Note: You can download a PDF printable version of this application by clicking here | |
Cultivation
| Forms | Cultivation |
| Information | A number of factsheets are being updated to reflect the latest national direction and Environment Court decisions on the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan. New versions will be available soon.
Please email us on service@es.govt.nz if you have questions and for current advice. Factsheet - CultivationCultivation is an issue for Southland's water quality as it moves sediment, phosphorus and E.coli as runoff or overland flow. Under the provisions in the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan, cultivating on sloping land remains a permitted activity if you can meet certain criteria. If not, you may need to apply for a consent. Read the factsheet to find out more about this. |
Dairy farming
| Forms | Farm dairy effluent discharge permit Farm dairy effluent applications Construct effluent storage pond |
| Information | A number of factsheets are being updated to reflect the latest national direction and Environment Court decisions on the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan. New versions will be available soon.Please email us on service@es.govt.nz if you have questions and for current advice. Application guide - farm dairy effluent Conversion Environmental Plan template Establishing a new dairy farm Any OVERSEER nutrient budget submitted as part of a consent application needs to be prepared in the latest version of OVERSEER. You can confirm what the latest version is at www.overseer.org.nz. If your nutrient budget has not been prepared in the latest version, please contact a consents officer to talk about your application. Factsheet - Existing agricultural effluent storage facilities |
Discharge contaminants
| Forms | Discharge contaminants to land (non-dairy) Discharge contaminants to air Discharge to water (non-dairy) Transfer ownership of a discharge permit |
Dust suppression on Southland roads
| Forms | Dust suppression application form |
| Information | You are NOT required to send a separate Part A form for this activity. Southland has been the last region in New Zealand where used oil has been applied to road surfaces to suppress dust. However, the combination of used oil and dust can cause problems for human health and the environment. For this reason, used oil is a recognized hazardous substance and can no longer be applied as a dust suppressant without resource consent being obtained first. Used oil is defined as any oil that has been refined from crude oil, or any synthetic hydrocarbon oil that has been used and, as a result of such use, has become unsuitable for its original purpose due to the presence of impurities or contaminants or the loss of original properties. Environment Southland is aware of a commercial product, Road Dust Control, which is approved under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 for use as a dust suppressant and can be used without resource consent being obtained. Ministry of the Environment guidelines recommend controlling dust emissions using the following procedures: - Wet suppression of unpaved areas during dry, windy periods using a
water cart and/or fixed sprinkler
Further information is available from the Ministry of the Environment Good Practice Guide to Assessing and Managing the Environmental effects of Dust Emissions. Consent is also required from other councils, so please check that you have all the permits you need before you discharge a dust suppressant to land. We require a deposit of $1,846 (GST inc) for the consent application according to our Fees and Charges Schedule. In the Gore District area, residents living on gravel roads can apply to have a 100 metre section of road outside their house sealed and 50% of the cost paid by the Gore District Council. They will also cover ongoing maintenance costs, including cyclic resealing. Check the GDC website for further info on how to apply for this – www.goredc.govt.nz |
Excluding stock from waterbodies
| Factsheet | A number of factsheets are being updated to reflect the latest national direction and Environment Court decisions on the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan. New versions will be available soon.Please email us on service@es.govt.nz if you have questions and for current advice. Excluding stock from waterbodies |
Gravel extraction
| Forms | Application for gravel extraction Evaluation form for gravel extraction Harbourmaster technical comment |
| Information | Example application for gravel extraction If you're applying for an activity which may adversely affect navigational safety in navigable rivers, we ask that you lodge a completed Technical Comment form from the Environment Southland Harbourmaster with your application, to ensure the application process is quicker. This is a request and not a requirement. |
Intensive winter grazing
| Forms | Apply for an intensive winter grazing resource consent (online) Intensive Winter Grazing: Application Form |
| Information | A number of factsheets are being updated to reflect the latest national direction and Environment Court decisions on the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan. New versions will be available soon. Please email us on service@es.govt.nz if you have questions and for current advice. Intensive winter grazing 2024 Any OVERSEER nutrient budget submitted as part of a consent application needs to be prepared in the latest version of OVERSEER. You can confirm what the latest version is at www.overseer.org.nz. If your nutrient budget has not been prepared in the latest version, please contact a consents officer to talk about your application. |
Transfer ownership of a consent
| Forms | Transfer ownership of a coastal permit Transfer ownership of a discharge permit Transfer ownership of a land use consent Transfer ownership of a water permit |
Use a feed pad / lot
| Forms | Application to use feed pad/lot |
| Information | This form must be used when applying for consent to use a feed pad/lot, including ‘sacrifice paddocks’, wintering pads, stand-off pads, calving pads, loafing pads, and self-feed silage storage facilities. |
Water permit
| Forms | Application to take and use groundwater |
Whitebaiting
| Forms | Occupy the coastal area with a whitebait stand Note: More information about whitebaiting and the rules around stand maintenance and alterations can be found here. |
Other forms
- Certificate of compliance
- Change (variation) or cancel consent conditions
- Make a submission
- Surrender a resource consent
- Withdrawal of right to be heard
- Withdraw a resource consent application
- Written approval of an affected party
Fees and charges
The fees and user charges for resource consent activities are set out in our fees and charges schedule. Download the document above to find out specific deposits and ongoing costs for the current year.
