Great news for homeowners, builders and DIY enthusiasts! In August 2020, new exemptions will be introduced to the Building Act, to allow “low risk” buildings like sleep-outs, carports and sheds to be constructed without a building consent!
An abatement notice is a warning issued by Council, to an individual or organisation, that the individual/organisation has not complied with the relevant rules of a District or Regional Plan. The abatement notice will outline what can be done to resolve the situation – one option is to stop the activity that led to the…
If you want to carry out vegetation alterations or removals from your property, you may require a resource consent, particularly if it is within a significant ecological area or native bush. Some examples where vegetation clearance (and therefore an ecological assessment) is likely to be required include:
In these post “Grand Designs” times, we tend to accept that we’ll encounter some disasters along the way with our renovation. The budget could blow out, the weather might delay completion, or perhaps we might uncover an ancient evil when digging in the basement. And then of course, there is Council…
It’s the exasperated cry we hear every day. The realities of project deadlines, funding requirements, spiralling interest payments, contractor availability and basic human psychology dictate that everyone needs their resource consent as fast as humanly possible.
Thomas Consultants is excited to announce we have expanded and now have a branch office in Manukau. The new office will compliment our head office in West Auckland to better service the southern part of the city and beyond.
The thought of subdividing your property is exciting and full of promise but the subdivision planning process can be a bit of a minefield! So to help get you started we spoke to our Planning team and asked them to provide their top tips. Hot off the press here they are…
Have you recently been informed by Council that your land may be contaminated and requires further investigations? You may have heard the terms PSI’s and DSI’s thrown about but unsure what they mean? Well look no further – here we break down what the investigations are all about and help you determine which one is right for you.
Collection and analysis of soil samples from a property prior to purchase is becoming routine but how reliable are these pre-purchase assessments? A common misconception is that a reasonable assessment regarding the contamination status of a property can be done with just a couple of samples.
It’s the exasperated cry we hear every day. The realities of project deadlines, funding requirements, spiralling interest payments, contractor availability and basic human psychology dictate that everyone needs their resource consent as fast as humanly possible.
Are you looking at developing your property? Have you had orchards, vineyards, market gardens or growing houses on your property?
There are a few ways that you can get caught out when applying for subdivision consent if you have had any horticultural practices on your land.
It’s one of the ancient truths of planning – you can solve a lot of problems by some carefully placed plants. Does your development overlook a neighbour? Some pittosporum on the boundary could screen that neighbour! Is your garage within a front yard? A rewarewa tree could soften those dominance effects! Need to remove…