The recent Auckland Council Annual Budget shows the cost of lodging a resource consent will increase dramatically from next month.

“Yearly updates to resource application costs are not unusual,” says Subdivide Simplified director Troy Patchett, “but what is unusual this time is the substantial cost increase across the board.”

Activities such as a deemed boundary activity are increasing 100 per cent, from $500 to $1000. Other large increases include land use consent applications – residential, up 63 per cent, subdivision consent, up 25 per cent, and bundle applications, up 26 per cent.

Extra costs

Patchett believes many considering a building project will be caught out by these increases.

“I strongly encourage those who are looking to build to get your application in as soon as possible – you may be able to get these through at the lower rate.”

While building costs have flattened out over the past 12 months, and even come down, these extra council-imposed costs could have knock-on effects including increased rents and house prices for new builds.

“In order to deliver quality, healthy homes to our biggest city, the council should be incentivising residential development, not punishing it,” he says.