Blog Post

Time is Everything: Achieving Resource Consent 

  • By Dodd Civil
  • 02 Oct, 2023

Securing council approval for resource consent applications can be a challenging experience for any project manager.  

Each application comes with its own set of requirements and procedures that can delay processes and can stretch out over weeks, if not months.  

Between dealing with ever-changing requirements, lengthy processes and uncertainty around decisions, the entire process can be time-consuming and sometimes overwhelming.  

Dodd’s unique approach combines deep industry knowledge with effective strategies. We’ve refined a methodology that streamlines applications and fast-tracks approvals. Here’s a closer look at our process. 


Time is Money 

For many businesses, especially those with tight budgets, efficient time management is crucial. For every day lost waiting for approvals, opportunities are missed, and potential profits decline. 

It's no secret that one of the primary frustrations with council processes is their seeming lack of urgency. In industries where margins are thin and competition is fierce, these delays have a significant financial impact. 

It is important for both the council and applicants to recognise the implications of time delays and work collaboratively to streamline the process for faster outcomes. 

 

Dodd’s Approach 

By front-loading our efforts and applying a few tricks, we aim to reduce programme lengths as much as possible. This is achieved through:

  1. Front-End Investment: Making a Comprehensive Application While preparing an application may take longer than desired, investing time and effort upfront ensures a high-quality application that meets council expectations. The goal is to foresee potential hurdles and provide solutions, making the council's job easier and increasing the chances of a swift approval.
  2. Concurrent Application Processing Experience has taught us about the obstacles and potential delays in the council's system. Instead of following a linear path and waiting for one approval before applying for the next, we take a concurrent approach. By applying for multiple parts of the process at once, we can ensure that by the time one department realises they're missing a piece of information, we already have it ready to hand over. This ensures an efficient process and decreases the risk of a domino effect with delays. Navigating the Critical Stages 
  3. Navigating the Critical Stages While the initial stages of the application process are crucial, it's the tail end that carries significant weight. This is when most of the financial outlays occur and when stakeholders are most anxious. Dodd’s strategy involves being two steps ahead. By being proactive and anticipating potential pitfalls, we've devised strategies to ensure that these concluding stages progress swiftly and efficiently.
  4. Leveraging Experience In the face of lengthy delays, it's crucial to know when to escalate matters. Our team is trained to understand when to push things further and when to seek higher intervention. While escalating to the top might not always yield instant results, it ensures we remain on the radar and increases accountability. 

 

Dodd in Action 

Take, for instance, our recent experience with the New Zealand Housing Foundation Project. This should have been a straightforward procedure, but it was met with four months of unnecessary delays. With our proactive approach, such delays became challenges we were prepared for. 

By concurrently applying for consents, we fast-tracked the process so that despite these delays, we were able to remain ahead of the curve. Recognising when to escalate issues, we strategically intervened, ensuring the project stayed on track and preventing further delays. 

 

Streamline Resource Consent Applications with Dodd 

With resource consent applications, Dodd's unique approach of combining experience with strategy ensures efficiency. We’ve devised a method that's both proactive and effective.  

Ready to streamline your next project's council approval? Explore our specialised process and see the difference firsthand. Call us to find out more. 

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