A building consent can’t be granted for new buildings or major alterations on land with one or more natural hazard if doing the work would make the situation worse.
Natural hazards include:
A building consent can be granted if it is satisfied that the land, building work and other property will be adequately protected from the hazard.
This will be considered on a case by case basis upon application from the building owner supported with the appropriate documentation.
When a building consent is granted for building work on land subject to a natural hazard, the consent is granted with a condition that notification will be sent to the Registrar-General of Land.
Where the building work occurs on Maori land the Registrar of the Maori Land Court will be notified. In the case of Crown land, the appropriate Minister and the Surveyor-General will be notified.
Notifications will be recorded on the relevant Record/s of Title. We recommend that you discuss the impacts that a notification on the title may have with your insurance company, solicitor or the Earthquake Commission before commencing the building consent process.
Further information can be found on the following:
Section 72 notifications on a record of title – Earthquake Commission