MDC Efficient At Turning Around Consent Applications

The latest survey by the Ministry for the Environment shows that the Marlborough District Council is performing well in the way it handles applications for resource consents.

That’s a big improvement on the last survey, two years ago, when this Council was ranked as one of the least successful councils in the country for settling ratepayer resource consents on time.

Given the diverse and complex applications lodged here, the Council had to find better processes – including ensuring that staff had greater skills and more manageable workloads.

It’s very satisfying to see the changes here have increased efficiency; in the 12-month survey period MDC processed just as many applications as Christchurch City Council, the Tasman District Council and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

In the year to June 2011

• MDC processed 95% of all applications within the required timeframe, comparing well with other regions across New Zealand
• Only three regions, including the new combined Auckland Council, processed more applications than Marlborough
• Only 6% of applications needed an extension of time for the Council to reach a decision, compared with 32% in Tasman and 19% in Nelson.