Before you start

Check which silt and sediment control measures you need to have in place before clearing your site and creating a building platform.

Get all consents and permissions before clearing site

Building sites must not be left with large exposed surfaces for weeks or longer without sediment control measures in place. Site clearance should only occur when your project has been planned from start to finish, including landscaping, and is ready to start.  This includes getting the necessary permissions, resource consents and building consents before you start.  If you're not sure about the permissions and consents you need, please phone us on (04) 237 5089.

If at all possible, try and leave a grass strip at the road frontage to the site as this could act as a mitigation buffer to stop sediment-laden stormwater entering the drains.

Dealing with steep sites and sites near streams

If you have a site where the natural slope is greater than 45 degrees, your site has a stream running through it, or the neighbouring site has a stream running through it, it is likely that more robust sediment control measures will be required.   Please phone us for further advice if this applies to you on (04) 237 5089. 

At the very least, you will likely require silt fences to be erected, running parallel to the stream's flow, along the entire length of the section of the stream where the construction works/earthworks are to take place.  An example is shown in the image below.

Before any person or machinery can enter streams when undertaking any work, you will need to request express permission in the form of a resource consent from Greater Wellington Regional Council on phone (04) 384 5708.

dealing with steep sites, silt