Planning enquiries

If you're seeking planning advice, we have various options available to assist with your enquiry.

General enquiry

If you'd like general planning advice, please phone (06) 366 0999, email enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz or lodge an online request on our Contact Us page.

Minor enquiries will generally be answered by email or by phone.

What you'll need to provide

Please provide us with the following information so we can respond to your query as soon as possible:

  • your email address;
  • your phone number (that you're contactable on during the day);
  • a clear description about your query;
  • the address of any property that your query relates to; and
  • whether you'd like to meet with someone to discuss your query.

Please note we have limited resources available for inhouse meetings and we try to reserve this time for concept queries and pre-application meetings where possible. Minor enquiries will usually be responded to faster if we can provide the advice by email or phone.

If you're seeking more detailed advice about a proposed project, this will be classed as a Concept Query.

Concept query

A concept query will enable us to provide you with free, basic advice about a proposed project.

We can respond to your query by email, in person or at a virtual meeting. Please note meeting times for concept queries are limited to 30 minutes each and there's limited availability for in-person meetings. Please phone (06) 366 0999, email enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz or lodge an online request on our Contact Us page to lodge your concept query.

What you'll need to provide

Please provide us with the following information so that we can respond to your query as soon as possible:

  • your email address;
  • your phone number (that you are contactable on during the day);
  • a clear and detailed description about your query;
  • the address of any property that your query relates to; and
  • whether you'd would like to meet with someone to discuss your query.

What we'll provide

You can expect to receive the following from us in relation to your concept query:

  • whether your proposed project will need a resource consent;
  • the next steps towards getting a consent; and
  • which District Plan rules are likely to be triggered by your proposal. 

Pre-application meetings

If you're in the process of preparing a resource consent application for submission to Horowhenua District Council and would like to discuss the proposal with a planner, you can request a pre-application meeting.

Pre-application meetings are offered free of charge - up to a maximum of two hours for each application. Charges beyond the first two hours are recovered against the application when it's lodged.

These meetings can be useful for larger or more complex proposals.

Please phone (06) 366 0999, email enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz or lodge an online request on our Contact Us page to request a pre-application meeting.

What you'll need to provide

Please provide us with the following information at least 10 working days ahead of the pre-application meeting, so we can provide you with detailed advice at the meeting:

  • contact details, email address and phone number (that you're contactable on during the day);
  • details of who will be attending the meeting;
  • copies of plans and any relevant documents (eg specialist reports or a draft assessment of environmental effects);
  • any specific questions you're seeking answers to;
  • the details of the property/ies that the proposal relates to; and
  • a copy of the property title and any related documents such as Consent Notices.

What we'll provide

You can expect to receive the following from us at the pre-application meeting:

  • feedback on the level of information prepared to date, or intending to be prepared;
  • how the proposal aligns with the District Plan requirements and its objectives and policies;
  • feedback on assessments against regional and national-level standards and policies;
  • identification of any need for specialist or technical reports;
  • feedback on any consultation that might need to be undertaken and how this could be started; and
  • discussion or advice on any points of issue or matters of concern.

Related Information

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