The Council’s building services team is tasked with ensuring that all building and plumbing / drainage works within the Whanganui District receive a building consent in a timely manner, and that they are inspected at defined intervals to ensure compliance with the national Building Code.
The Building Act 2004, the majority of which was implemented in March 2005, requires increased levels of in-house assessment of plans supplied and increased rigour for on-site inspections. The Council is accredited by International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) and registered as a Building Consent Authority (BCA) by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
Apply for a building consent online
Applying for a building consent can now be done online. To do this, users need a RealMe account to access the Council's online application form.
Applications for building consents must be processed within 20 days working days. Requests for further information will stop the statutory clock and it is not restarted until all the required information is supplied.
All data is securely held in Council files, as well as electronically, and is made available for public viewing where allowable under the Privacy Act. To assist with this process, a dedicated person will help with lodging the online applications and a computer will be available at Customer Services at 101 Guyton Street.
To make an appointment with a member of our Building Control Team to find out more about how to lodge your application, please call 06 349 0001.
Paper building consent applications may incur increased costs for items such as scanning.
What if I don't have a computer at home, or don't know how to use one?
To help people get used to the new online process, the Council team will supply a dedicated person to help with applications and make a computer available at the Council's Guyton Street building for this purpose. If you don't already have an email address, you will need to set one up to apply for a building consent.
To book an appointment with one of our Environmental Standards Technical Officers, please call (06) 349 0001.
Do I still have to pay for a deposit?
The requirement for a deposit at the application stage will be removed, with full and final payment required when the building consent application has been granted.
How will building consents be pre-vetted?
All online building consent applications will continue to undergo a rigorous pre-vetting process, but this will now be undertaken electronically. The electronic process will allow the vetting officer to add comments to the checklist and return an application where any missing items can then be included for re-submission.
Do the timelines for building consents change?
No. The Council must still meet the statutory 20-day time frame to process applications.
Does the content of the assessment change?
No, the consent process will just be online now, rather than on paper.
How do I receive my plans?
Once your application has been approved, you will be sent an email with your outstanding balance. Once this is paid, either through the Council's online services web portal, or by visiting our Customer Services Desk, you will get an email from RealMe with a link to the plans. At this link you can download, save and print your plans.
Will the fee be the same?
Yes.
What happens if my building consent is declined?
You will receive an email and be asked to amend your application and submit it again.
What is RealMe?
RealMe is a digital ID service created by the Department of Internal Affairs and New Zealand Post which allows people to prove who they are online when using New Zealand websites and services.
Is RealMe safe and secure?
RealMe does not store information, but acts as a conduit to help people share their information with participating organisations who need it. Users of RealMe can always see and approve the information they share.
What if I want to share an application with another RealMe user?
You can. Once you have a draft consent you need to click on the group symbol.
You can then select which permissions you wish to give the other person. All the permissions are explained when you hover over the '?' symbol. Put the other person's email in the user email field, then send. They will then get an email alert which they will need to follow. (Please note that the email must be linked to an existing RealMe account).
With a consent that is already submitted, go into the user section and add their email address. Please be aware that although they can see the consent they will not get email alerts when the consent is updated unless they were added as either the owner or applicant.
What if I am the applicant but the invoice needs to be paid by someone else?
In that case all you would need to do is put the person's name who is responsible for the invoice in the 'Authorisation' section of the application. We will then update the invoice, but please remember that only the applicant and any other users that the consent has been shared with will see this, so it is up to the applicant to forward this onto the payer.
What do I do when I receive an alert from RealMe?
If your consent is declined at the initial stage then you should have received a PDF which will explain what you are missing and what you need to resubmit.
If your consent has been accepted and you receive an email alert, then log in to RealMe and go into 'My account'→'Submitted Applications', click on the relevant file and then click on the 'File' tab and you will see what file has been uploaded on that day. Please call us on 06 349 0001 if you have trouble finding anything.
Find out more about privacy and security when using RealMe
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
From 1 July 2012 the Department of Building and Housing (DBH) was incorporated under a new Government ministry. The new Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) now incorporates the functions of the Department of Building and Housing, the Department of Labour, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
The MBIE website has a vast array of information relating to all aspects of the building industry. This site has news and information about the Building Act and Building Code, as well as information about the Ministry’s building control services and activities. It also contains free Building Code compliance documents and information on weathertightness.
Building Act 2004
The Building Code website has news and information about the Building Act and review of the Building Code, as well as discussion documents, publications and activities.
Leaky buildings
If you are seeking information on the leaky building syndrome or weathertightness, please refer to the leaky homes website.
The Weathertightness Homes Resolution Service (WHRS) was set up by the Government to assist owners of leaky buildings.
Consumer building information
Need reliable information about house building, renovation or maintenance? Consumer will help guide you through the building process and provide the information you need to make informed decisions about your project.
Vehicle crossings
All work on vehicle crossings must be undertaken only by a Council-approved installer. These works are required to be registered with Council by way of a vehicle crossing permit application(PDF, 179KB). We suggest you choose an installer from the list and ask them to apply for the permit on your behalf.
Approved vehicle crossing installers(PDF, 685KB)
Builder licensing
A licensing system for the building industry is one of a package of changes introduced by the Building Act 2004 to improve control of and encourage better practices in design and construction. From March 2012 any restricted building work must be carried out or supervised by a licensed building practitioner.
Visit the MBIE website for more information on occupational licensing
Building Act information leaflets
MBIE has published a range of information brochures, including the linkage between the resource and building consent process, commercial building information, accessibility, designer, specialist trades and developer information. Hard copies are available from the Council or you can download them from the MBIE website.
Useful links:
The New Zealand Homeowner's Building Guide: Your guide to NZ building codes, building products, building advice and more.
Council sets its building consent fees as actual and reasonable costs for the service. These are set by Council pursuant to Section 219 of the Building Act 2004 and Section 150 of the Local Government Act 2002.
There are two types of fees, which relate to the types of building project being undertaken:
- Fixed fees – these are for simple project types where the costs are easily identified before application.
- Estimated fees – based on anticipated costs for that building project type.
Download our list of fees and charges(PDF, 136KB)
Apply for a building consent online
GoShift forms are downloadable in writable PDF format. These can be filled out using Acrobat Reader, then saved and emailed as an attachment to onlinebcapps@whanganui.govt.nz. All other forms will need to be printed and filled out manually. You can return your completed form using one of the following methods:
- Email a scanned copy as an attachment to onlinebcapps@whanganui.govt.nz.
- Post to Whanganui District Council, PO Box 637, Whanganui 4540.
- Drop it in to our Customer Service Desk at the Council Municipal Building, 101 Guyton Street.
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Description |
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Amendment to Compliance Schedule(PDF, 62KB)
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Application for Independent Qualified Person(PDF, 245KB)
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Also see Information Sheet(PDF, 245KB)
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Certificate for Public Use
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A Certificate for Public Use allows premises affected by building work to be used by the public.
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Certificate of Acceptance(PDF, 102KB)
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A Certificate of Acceptance may be issued for unconsented works completed since 1993.
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Code Compliance Certificate
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A Code Compliance Certificate is issued when a job is finished and the council is satisfied building and plumbing work complies with the Building Code and the building consent.
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Exemption under Part 1 clause 2(PDF, 194KB)
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Exemption 2 allows a discretionary decision by Whanganui District Council to exempt proposed work from requirement to obtain a building consent in circumstances specified.
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Extension of Time
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An extension of time may be issued at the council’s discretion, either to issue a Code Compliance Certificate or to extend the time to start works.
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Infrastructure Bond and Acceptance of Liability Agreement(PDF, 129KB)
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The purpose of the Infrastructure Bond is to encourage the applicant to ensure that the infrastructure assets are not damaged.
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Application for Infrastructure Bond Refund(PDF, 111KB)
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To be filled in on completion of the building work once CCC has been granted.
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LIM (Land Information Memorandum)
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Apply for a Land Information Memorandum from the Whanganui District Council before you invest in a new property. A LIM will provide you with all the information held by the Council about any specific site within the Whanganui District.
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Memorandum from Licensed Building Practitioner: Certificate of Design Work
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A Memorandum from Licensed Building Practitioner: Certificate of Design Work form is used to outline what Restricted Building Work design work was carried out or supervised on a project, and who carried it out or supervised it.
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Memorandum from Licensed Building Practitioner: Record of Building Work
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A Memorandum from Licensed Building Practitioner: Record of Work form is used to outline what Restricted Building Work was carried out or supervised on a building site, and who carried it out or supervised it.
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Notice of Owner-Builder
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A Notice of Owner-Builder should be used during the construction process when the Owner-Builder starts or stops using the Owner-Builder Exemption.
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Notification to Record Exempt Work(PDF, 72KB)
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As the owner, you can place a record on your property file regarding work you believe to be exempt under Schedule 1 of the Building Act by completing this document. Exempt building work is not checked or inspected by Whanganui District Council. It is your responsibility to ensure that the work is exempt by seeking advice from a suitably competent person. Undertaking building work without a building consent that is not exempt is an offence.
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Producer Statement - Vehicle Crossings(PDF, 64KB)
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RAPID Number Request(PDF, 55KB)
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RAPID (Rural Address Property IDentification) serves as the street address for rural properties. It is useful to your service providers like Corus and NZ Post. The RAPID number identifies a property by being placed on a reflective number plate that is highly visible at night.
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Statutory Declaration of Owner/Builder
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A Statutory Declaration as to Owner-Builder form is used to show that the owner-builder criteria are met, for owner-builders who want to use the Owner-Builder Exemption (which allows them to carry out Restricted Building Work on their own home).
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Vehicle Crossing Permit(PDF, 179KB)
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All work on vehicle crossings must be undertaken by a Council-approved installer only. These works are required to be registered with Council by way of a vehicle crossing permit. We suggest you choose an installer from the list of approved vehicle crossing installer and ask them to apply for the permit on your behalf.
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Waiver of Infrastructure Bond Agreement for Preferred Applicant(PDF, 111KB)
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A builder who is a preferred applicant may apply for an exemption from paying an infrastructure bond on each consent.
To find out if you are eligible for a waiver of the bond amount, please talk to a member of the Environmental Standards team in the first instance.
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Works Access Permit(PDF, 65KB)
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Works Completion Notice(PDF, 69KB)
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