Waitomo District Council reminds home owners to plan ahead for summer DIY projects.

Council can help by processing building consents and provide advice on what sort of projects will or will not require consenting.

The Building Act 2004, NZ Building Code and Resource Management Act require home owners to apply for resource consents for many aspects of renovations. Council will process building consents within 20 working days.

WDC can assist with consents for most building work, including:

• structural - additions, alterations, re-piling, demolition;
• plumbing and drainage (except the repair and maintenance of existing components included in Schedule 1 exemptions);
• relocating a building;
• installing a solid or diesel fired heating unit;
• retaining walls higher than 1.5 metres or taking building/vehicle loading surcharge;
• fences or walls higher than 2.5 metres and all swimming pool fences;
• swimming pools;
• decks, platforms or bridges more than 1.5 metres above ground level; and
• sheds greater than 10 square metres in floor area.

Work that does not require council assistance includes:

• decks, platforms or bridges with a fall height of less than 1.5 metres;
• garden trellis or fences less than 2.5 metres high;
• installing kitchen cupboards;
• small garden ponds less than 400mm depth;
• maintenance of homes, for example, replacing spouting or a piece of weatherboard; and
• building a garden shed or outbuilding less than 10 square metres in floor area and greater than its own height from a boundary and any residential building.

For more information about building consents please contact our friendly Customer Services Team on 0800 932 4357, or email [email protected]