District Plan fees and charges

Image of airport for District Plan fees page.

Our fees and charges for the 2025-26 financial year are provided below.

All fees are stated as GST inclusive (unless otherwise stated).

We reserve the right to review any fees and charges at any time. Please check with us for any updates.

Private plan change

All fees and charges are DEPOSITS unless otherwise stated. Processing may require further charges that exceed the initial lodgement deposit.

Amount
Non-complex – private plan change – before commencement of notification $20,000.00
Non-complex – private plan change – before commencement of a hearing $20,000.00
Non-complex – private plan change – on receipt of a request to change the plan $20,000.00
Complex – private plan change – before commencement of notification $50,000.00 
Complex – private plan change – before commencement of a hearing $50,000.00
Complex – private plan change – on receipt of a request to change the plan $50,000.00
Disbursements At cost charged to department by provider

Pre-application meetings with Council staff:

Applicants can request to meet relevant Council staff to discuss a potential private plan change prior to preparing and lodging a request, in accordance with Council's pre-application meetings process.

One pre-application meeting free of charge*

All meetings requested thereafter (including preparation and follow up) will be charged at actual reasonable cost 

Hourly rates charged in six-minute intervals.

Hours over the above advance fee and mileage, plus disbursements, which may also involve work by other specialist planning, parks and engineering staff, will be charged at a rate specified in Council’s professional fee schedule.

 See Council professional fees

Hearings required for any plan change

Any and all costs of third party or independent commissioners will be recoverable, as well as the cost associated with the hearing (i.e. staff time, consultant costs, venue hire, printing).

When a councillor is appointed as a hearings commissioner, the cost set by regulation will be charged.

All figures are standard fees inclusive of GST. The final fee in any one change to the District Plan will be determined by the District Plan Manager or his / her appointee.

In the case where a consultant is required, Council will charge the actual and reasonable costs incurred by the consultant, plus 5% for supervision and administration.

Notes

Private plan changes may be processed by consultants. In this situation, an applicant will be asked to undertake, at the submission stage, to pay the full cost of such processing in addition to the normal cost of Council to process its part of the application.

Fees are charged to defray the cost of:

  1. initial receipt of the application
  2. cost of allocation of the application and distribution of information
  3. site visits
  4. all professional and administrative staff costs at the hourly rate, mileage and disbursements in handling the application
  5. request for additional information and review or peer review such information
  6. notification procedure
  7. summarising submissions and input into database
  8. notification of submissions for further submissions
  9. summary of further submissions and input into database
  10. preparation of staff report to a Hearings Committee and / or Council
  11. preparation of hearing, notices, hall hire, appointment of commissioners, etc
  12. attendance and any cost of hearings plus secretarial services
  13. all cost of the hearing including full cost of independent commissioners
  14. preparation and finalising the Hearings Committee’s recommendation to Council
  15. submission to Council of the hearings report and cost of any subsequent requirements of Council
  16. updating of database with all the decisions of Council on submissions
  17. distributing decision replies to all submitters
  18. Council may on-charge cost of an appeal where the decision of Council was in favour of the applicant, but was appealed by a submitter
  19. all costs will still be payable notwithstanding the outcome of the application, i.e., if an application is declined or only partially accepted / adopted / granted, the cost still has to be recovered
  20. cost can be reduced if all information is provided electronically and distributed electronically where applicable.
Back to top