Development Engineering
Building and land development projects always involve a degree of engineering.
Council's land development engineering team is involved in land development and subdivision projects, from the initial idea and concept right through to the constructed roads, pipes, water connections and street lights being used for the first time. The land development engineering team is primarily responsible for the delivery of assets constructed by others to Council. The team does this by ensuring that all assets meet the requirements of Council's 2009 Development Code.
There can be a lot to consider and significant project costs associated with engineering and infrastructure, so it pays to discuss your project with a development engineer at the start. We strongly encourage discussions early in the process of initiating a land development project.
If you need to make contact with a member of the development engineering team you can call us on 0800 926 732.
If your engineering queries are part of a larger land development project which will require resource consent approval, we offer a pre-application service which can include consideration of engineering matters along with other planning processes and information.
Stormwater Responsibilities.
Most private drains connect to the public stormwater network and are important because they carry stormwater away from homes and businesses to the public network, streams and the sea. It is vital to be mindful of the potential environmental impact caused by substances such as chemicals, oils, dirt, and soaps that can be washed into drains. These pollutants have the potential to harm the environment, particularly the sea.
To help mitigate stormwater problems on your property, we have outlined some guidelines that you can follow. By adhering to these recommendations, you can reduce the likelihood of stormwater-related issues and contribute to a healthier environment.
Please see useful guide below:
Stormwater management guide for homeowners
2009 Development Code
National Vertical Datum Changes
Western Bay of Plenty District Council is changing the survey datum level in our district, this change follows updates received from Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), late February 2024.
These changes will be effective from 1 July 2024 and will impact all cadastral survey datasets, which must now be prepared in terms of NZVD2016. NZVD2016 will be the official vertical datum for New Zealand and is supported by a high-quality network of survey control marks maintained by LINZ.
Land surveying datum levels are crucial for accurate mapping, construction, and other geographic referencing activities within our community.
Key notes regarding the survey datum level changes:
- Reason for Change: The transition to NZVD2016 is aimed at setting national datum, which is intended to replace various ‘local vertical datums’ used across the country.
- Impact on Cadastral Survey Datasets: Cadastral survey datasets that require a vertical datum will increasingly be prepared in terms of NZVD2016, in advance of the deadline. Hence, all as-builts submitted to Council will need to adhere to this change.
- Effective Date: The survey datum level changes will come into effect from 1 July 2024. It is important for all stakeholders involved in surveying, construction, and mapping activities to adhere to the new datum level from this date onwards.
- Risk: There's a big chance that measurements might get mixed up, thinking they're based on one thing when they're actually based on something else. This mistake could lead to putting things in the wrong place or worrying about breaking height rules set by the council for no reason. We suggest making sure to double-check this from now on (if you haven't already been doing so)
- Continued Collaboration: We are committed to collaborating with LINZ and other relevant authorities to monitor the impact of these changes.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we implement these important changes to improve the accuracy and reliability of geographic data within our district.
For any further information, you can check out, New Zealand Vertical Datum 2016 (NZVD2016)
Council's 2009 Development Code sets out how to comply when designing, constructing and maintaining engineering works that are required:
- to fulfil conditions imposed by a resource consent, or
- for works that fall within the requirements of the District Plan, which don't require a resource consent but required as a permitted activity performance standard.
- for capital or maintenance works commissioned by Council.
The works apply to urban, rural residential and rural applications. Any alternative means of compliance submitted for approval (i.e. different design methods or philosophy or principles) will be considered on a case by case basis.
More information is available on the 2009 Development Code webpage.
Improvement projects
Council is working toward improvements in significant areas during 2019. This work will include a complete review, change and update to the:
- 2009 Development Code
- Engineering Application Information and Reporting Requirements
- Engineering Processes to promote Clarity, Consistency and High Quality
- Values, Ethics and Expectations Development Engineering Operate Under and Expect From Others
Engineering information for resource consent applications
Council requires details on engineering concept, design and construction to support a resource consent application. The type and extent of information is set out within the District Plan and 2009 Development Code.
The type of information and assessment required as part of a resource consent application is dependent on:
- The type of activity proposed e.g. subdivision, additional dwelling, commercial development;
- The scale and intensity of use proposed;
- The provision and capacity of infrastructure services available;
- The characteristics of the development site e.g. land contour, natural hazards, land use type
Council's Operative District Plan and 2009 Development Code provide guidance on what engineering matters are relevant to your proposal and the information requirements that need to be provided. Please also visit the resource consents making an application page for further guidance on how to prepare your proposal.
Engineering conditions of resource consent
When Council receives a subdivision or land use resource consent application, it is often approved subject to a list of conditions that need to be met.
There are often engineering conditions included requiring information or physical works to be carried out such as:
- Providing design details before starting construction
- Requiring a minimum standard of services and works
- Carrying out physical construction works
- Providing supporting information for Council's records like as-builts and asset schedules
- Requiring engineering reports like geotechnical reports
- Providing legal easements to protect public and private infrastructure
Engineering design approval
Engineering works can be of a scale and nature where design approval is required prior to physical construction starting. Submitting sufficient information in the right format can make this step in the process more efficient.
The following application and checklist forms are included within the Development Code and particularly relevant to the engineering design approval stage:
- Cert 1b Engineering Design Approval Application (PDF, 231KB)
- Cert 1c Financial Asset Register Schedule of Asset Values (EXL 45 KB) (Note: At this stage values will be an estimate only)
If you'd like to submit engineering design approval electronically and you have large files to attach you can submit this information via the online portal. Document naming that includes the applicant name, site address, and Council reference will ensure this information is assigned in a timely manner for further action.
Post-subdivision survey plan approval (S223) and deposit (S224)
Before issuing final Council approval to create new certificates of title (Computer Registers), confirmation that all conditions have been met is required. The application confirming conditions have been met (often referred to as a s224 application) usually includes engineering conditions. Sufficient information and confirmation from a qualified professional should be submitted with the s224 application confirming all work and related information is complete and final.
The following form is particularly relevant to the post subdivision stage:
This document is a comprehensive set of guidelines and checklists for engineering requirements at the time of s224c approval. Depending on the scale and complexity of the subdivision, you may require all of this documentation or may use the relevant sections only to assist in ensuring you have sufficiently addressed the engineering condition requirements of your subdivision.
If you'd like to submit a 224 application with quality assurance documents electronically and you have large files to attach you can submit via the online portal. Document naming that includes the applicant name, site address, and Council reference will ensure this information is assigned in a timely manner for further action.
