James Marsh, from KiwiSpan, gives the new online service a go.
People applying for a building consent from Porirua City
Council can now do it using the Council’s online consents portal.
Nicola Etheridge, General Manager Policy, Planning and Regulatory Services, says people will be able to pay for consents online as well.
“We’re moving all of our paper-based services online and building consent applications is the first major service to be rolled out,” she says.
James Marsh, from KiwiSpan, was one of the first customers to test-drive the new service.
“The online portal was very user friendly and quick. It made the application process simple and efficient,” he says.
Porirua City is moving to a digital-first approach for applications and secure payments. People will still be able to apply using traditional paper-based forms if they wish, but using online smart forms will simplify the process.
As well as making it easier for applicants, there won’t be the processing and scanning that goes with paper applications, saving handling time.
“The new application process will be more efficient, particularly for developers and commercial applicants. Down the track we’ll be adding the ability to track applications while they’re in the system, so people will be able to see exactly what stage their application is at,” says Ms Etheridge.
“As part of the move to online services, we’ve taken the opportunity to review a building consent application’s deposit rates. From 1 July there’ll be a change in the amount you’ll be asked to submit with your application. This is a more realistic deposit towards your project cost and won’t change the overall cost of the consent,” she says.
4 Jul 2019
