ECan braces for more consent headaches

Environment Canterbury says it is prepared for an anticipated influx of consent renewals. Photo: LDR/David Hill

Canterbury's regional council may have overcome a large backlog of delayed consents, but there are potentially more complex issues on the horizon, councillors have heard.

Environment Canterbury (ECan) made headlines last year as it battled to clear hundreds of consents, some dating back more than 20 years.

The backlog of 1200 consents was finally cleared in November, but ECan is now bracing itself for an anticipated surge in consent renewals over the next decade.

The council's consents planning manager Aurora Grant gave councillors an update at a council meeting on Wednesday.

Staff were confident new measures the council adopted in November - as part of a consents delivery plan - would prevent a similar backlog in future, she said.

Changes include providing guidance to consultants and applicants on what information is required, streamlining processes and learning the lessons from the backlog.

But she warned it could depend on what changes came from central government.

''We are resourced for the next four years and after that, it would be prudent to review what is the rules framework and what has come out of central government.''

The council has more than 26,000 active consents in Canterbury, more than any other regional council.

While 1200 consents in the backlog had now been processed, 136 were still to reach a decision, Grant said.

Around 40 have been notified or are about to be notified and 27 are subject to an appeal.

The remainder are either on hold at the request of the applicant or are subject to the Fast-track Approvals Act.

The timing of when consents are notified is impacted by the availability of hearing commissioners, she said.

''Commissioners we would normally use are being employed in other regions and some are being engaged in the Fast-track process.

''We are looking further afield, which can add to the cost.''

Responding to a question from councillor Ian Mackenzie, Grant said the duration of a consent depended on several factors.

''Simply put, the more robust the conditions in place and the more confidence we have, the longer we can grant a consent for.

''But then something weird and wonderful comes out of central government and we need to follow that direction in terms of consent duration.''

As of last month, just over half (54.8 percent) of consents had been processed within the statutory 20-working day timeframe for this financial year, an improvement on the 26 percent compliance rate last year.

The council has set a goal of reaching 95 percent compliance for the 2025/26 financial year.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.