Viewpoint – Following proper process vital

As local residents, protecting and improving our land is something many of us care deeply about. However, projects like building seawalls, boundary fencing and community initiatives often intersect with public land, including local parks, esplanade reserves, and roadsides.

Through my work in our community, I’ve seen firsthand how securing early Landowner Approval from the local board is the single most critical step in turning these plans into successful, supported projects.

Local boards act as custodians of public land on behalf of us all. Before technical resource or building consents can move forward, the board must grant formal landowner permission for any work or structure that occupies, crosses, or impacts public land.

Seeking board endorsement right at the start offers major benefits:

• Establishes Real Partnerships: Engaging early turns elected members and council advisors into partners. It provides clear guidance on what is achievable before you commit significant money to complex engineering designs.

• Defines Conditions Upfront: Board input ensures community priorities are built into your design from day one – such as maintaining public access tracks, protecting ecosystems, and using native planting to stabilise soil.

• De-risks the Process: Landowner approval is separate from regulatory resource consents. Getting sign-off first ensures your formal consent applications won›t be delayed or blocked later over land ownership disputes.

Bypassing this process ends up costing everyone. Unapproved works on public land trigger lengthy compliance procedures, abatement notices, and legal disputes that drain both private savings and ratepayer resources. Retrospective approval is notoriously complicated, expensive, and never guaranteed.

When property owners work through the proper channels from the beginning, the outcomes speak for themselves.

Necessary structures stay in place, public reserve access is preserved, local habitats are protected, and ratepayer funds are saved from costly enforcement or removal actions.

If you are planning works on or near public boundaries, I strongly encourage you to reach out to the local board from the very beginning. By walking the right path together, we can safeguard our private properties while enhancing the public spaces we all love.