Retaining wall consent cost rocks up to $20k
The plan was for a simple retaining wall until a Christchurch couple discovered consenting costs could equal the budget for the build.
Banks Peninsula couple Sue and Michael Denny want to build a concrete block wall along a bare earth bank, which was dug out so machinery could get around the nearby garage during earthquake rebuild work.
The couple say they are ‘‘sickened’’ by consenting costs which would run to about $20,000 – the same amount as budgeted for the wall’s construction.
The Dennys lodged a building consent with the Christchurch City Council, requiring a $1400 deposit, before being told the project would require a further $2500 resource consent deposit, as the planned wall would breach the maximum allowed volume or depth for earthworks in the Resource Management Act.
The planned wall would be 9 metres long and about 2m high at its tallest point.
To get consent, the Dennys would need to commission a raft of expensive technical documents and inspections.
Sue Denny said the couple were now not planning to build the wall, deterred by the ‘‘unreasonable, unwarranted expense’’ of the process. They had not lodged a resource consent application and were looking at other alternatives.
‘‘We feel a bit sickened by it.’’ Should the Dennys try to get the consent, they would need to provide all of the information requested by the council.
This includes a boundary survey, which the Dennys said was quoted at $4025, and a sediment management report, for which the Dennys were still awaiting a quote. Their project will also need iwi approval, including a processing cost of $800, because their property is within the area of the Mahaanui Iwi Management Plan Silent Files and Kaitorete Spit cultural zone in the Christchurch district plan. A silent file area is an area given special protection because it contains significant wa¯ hi tapu (sacred places) or wa¯hi taonga (treasured possessions). The area is larger than the wa¯ hi tapu to ensure the exact location of the sacred place remains secret or ‘‘silent’’.
Sue Denny said she was quoted $5980 by a consultant to manage the complicated process of iwi approval.
A tally of those costs (including deposits to the council) comes to $14,705 – before the cost of the sediment control plan and any inspections required under the building consent. The council website lists the fees for a building consent inspection at $200 for up to an hour, with additional charges if it takes longer.
If they were to go ahead with the project, they may need to chip in more for the building consent process, as the council has used more than $1000 of their $1400 deposit to date.
The council website shows building consent costs for residential external alterations worth up to $20,000 typically ranged between $1749 and $3948.
A council spokeswoman said the boundary survey was needed as land had moved during the Christchurch earthquakes, and it was important clear boundaries were identified and correct to ensure structures were built on the right property and at the correct height.
She said a sediment control plan was needed to protect waterways and council infrastructure from being polluted.
Engaging a consultant to streamline the consent process was not a requirement.