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Auckland Council plan changes will make it easier for households to install rainwater tanks by removing the costly and time-consuming consent process.
The changes, approved by the Council’s Planning Committee on May 5, remove the need for most residential and rural property owners to seek a resource consent before they install rainwater tanks.
Previously, a deposit of up to $4000 was required to lodge a resource consent application, although the fees have been waived in the majority of cases for the past two years.
However, anyone wanting to make rainwater tanks their main household water supply will still need to apply for building consent because of the connection to internal plumbing.
It is hoped that the changes will make it easier for Auckland households to become more self-reliant in drought conditions.
Planning Committee chair Chris Darby said it made sense for Council to be encouraging sustainable practices like rainwater capture.
It was an end to a plan change process that “in some ways gets Council out of the way of people being able to install rain water tanks”, Darby said.
“The combination of longer severe dry spells and increased periods of torrential rainfall that we are seeing as a result of our rapidly changing climate has impacts on the health of Auckland’s streams and harbours and the resilience of the household water supply,” he said.
“Making it easier for Aucklanders to be resourceful with rainwater and provide for their own water needs is overdue.”
The update to the rules is expected to occur this month and once finalised, Council staff will notify exactly when the changes take effect.
