Installing rainwater tanks will soon be easier for property-owners in Auckland, following changes to Auckland’s Unitary Plan and the Hauraki Gulf Islands District Plan.
The decision to remove restrictive provisions in the planning process, approved by the Planning Committee last Thursday, will remove the need for most residential and rural property-owners to seek a resource consent for rainwater tanks.
The plan change decision means that in most cases property-owners wanting to install rainwater tanks will no longer need to submit a resource consent application or pay a resource consent application fee.
However, a building consent will still be required for rainwater tanks connected to internal household plumbing.
“Making it easier for Aucklanders to be resourceful with rainwater and provide for their own water needs is overdue,” says Councillor Chris Darby.
“The combination of longer severe dry spells and increased periods of torrential rainfall that we’re seeing as a result of our rapidly changing climate, has impacts on the health of Auckland’s streams and harbours and the resilience of household water supply.
“It makes sense that council should be encouraging sustainable practices like rainwater capture and removing any barriers to achieving them. By relaxing the rules and reducing costs, we’re making it easier for residents to harvest Auckland’s abundant rainfall for daily use, and ultimately taking pressure off mains supply infrastructure.
“Installing rainwater tanks can also positively impact water charges, helping to relieve some of the financial pressure on households in the longer-term.”
How will the plan changes make it easier to install rainwater tanks?
The plan change removes rainwater tanks from the definition of ‘building’ and creates a new ‘rainwater tank’ definition, with less restrictive standards than for ‘buildings’.
Rainwater tank installations are now classed as a ‘permitted activity’ through different zones, with simple standards to be followed on a zone-by-zone basis.
Previously, a deposit of $500 – $4000 was required to lodge a resource consent application, although these fees have been waived for almost two years (from June 1, 2020) in the majority of scenarios.
