Fees and Charges

Once our administrative team has checked that the required information and documentation have been submitted, an initial fee invoice will be issued. 

The invoice may include: 

• an administration lodgement fee 

• a monitoring fee (where applicable) 

• an initial fee deposit based on the type of application and activity 

This generally covers: 

• setting up and lodging the application 

• reviewing submitted information 

• checking the application is complete 

• assessing statutory requirements 

• commencing technical assessment work 

The initial fee invoice: 

• must be paid before processing begins 

• must be paid using the payment reference shown on the invoice 

• contributes towards the cost of processing the application 

• is not usually the total cost of the application. 

What is the initial fee deposit? 

The initial fee deposit is a based on the type of application and activity you’re applying for. This fee/deposit is credited to your account and once it has been used, further processing costs are invoiced monthly.

What is the administration lodgement fee? 

This fee covers the administrative costs associated with setting up the application. 

This includes: 

• checking the application has been submitted with the required information 

• creating the application record 

• issuing the initial fee invoice 

• acknowledging receipt of the application 

This fee is non-refundable and remains payable regardless of the outcome of the application, including where an application is withdrawn, declined or rejected.

What is the monitoring fee? 

Monitoring is a requirement of the Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991. The monitoring fee is held separately and is generally only used once a consent has been issued. The fee contributes towards the cost of monitoring officers undertaking site visits and assessing compliance with consent conditions. 

For more information visit the Non-Compliance and Monitoring webpage. 

Online (preferred)

Paying through the QLDC website is the quickest way to ensure payment is correctly allocated to your application. 

1. Visit the Online Payments page. 

2. Select Application Fees then Pay application fee online 

3. Enter your application reference number. 

4. Follow the payment instructions. 

Payments can be made by: 

• Credit card (incurs a 2% processing fee) 

• Account2Account bank transfer (supported banks only) 

Bank transfer 

Payments can be made directly to: 

Queenstown Lakes District Council 
Bank account: 02-0948-0002000-00 

Please use your application reference as the payment reference. Your application reference can be found on your invoice.  

Using the correct reference helps us allocate your payment promptly and avoid processing delays. 

For invoice enquiries, please contact consentdebtors@qldc.govt.nz  

If payment is made using an incorrect reference, we may be unable to allocate it to your application. This will result in your payment being returned and you’ll need to re-pay using the correct reference. 

As we don’t begin processing applications until the initial fee invoice has been paid, this will cause delays to your application.  

If payment of the initial fee invoice is not received within 20 working days, your application will be rejected. You will still be required to pay the administration lodgement fee.

The initial fee deposit is used towards the cost of processing your application. Once that deposit has been used, additional processing costs are charged at the applicable hourly rates and invoiced monthly. 

These costs are based on the actual time and resources required to process the application. 

You will receive an initial fee invoice, followed by monthly invoices while your application is being processed.

The initial fee invoice shows;  

• an administration lodgement fee 

• a monitoring fee (where applicable) 

• an initial fee deposit fee based on the type of application and activity 

Monthly invoices show: 

• a credit from the initial fee deposit (first monthly invoice only)

• processing costs incurred during the billing period 

• An invoice total, which is the amount by which processing costs have exceeded the available deposit balance and is the amount payable for that billing period.  

The credit and charge amounts are shown exclusive of GST.

Download the Example of invoices document below for side-by-side examples of initial and monthly invoices and a detailed explanation of the charges shown on each.

Your initial fee deposit is held on your account and usually appears on your first monthly invoice as a "Cdt from Initial Fee". 

As processing work is undertaken, charges are deducted from that credit balance. Once the deposit has been used, additional charges become payable.

For most applications, the initial fee deposit will not cover the full application processing cost.  

Additional charges may include, but are not limited to: 

• planner and engineer assessments 

• review of additional information 

• communication and meetings 

• specialist advice or expert reviews 

• commissioner costs 

• report writing 

• notification or hearing costs 

• site visits 

Charges are based on actual time spent processing the application and the applicable hourly rates in the fee schedule. 

Processing costs vary depending on: 

• the quality and completeness of the application 

• site characteristics 

• site visits 

• specialist advice requirements 

• communication and engagement needs 

• requests for further information 

• changes made during processing 

• notification or hearing requirements 

Applications that are complete and well prepared are generally more efficient to process and may reduce processing costs. We recommend engaging a professional planner to prepare your resource consent application, as incomplete or poor-quality applications may be rejected, take longer to process, and incur additional costs. 

Fees and charges are reviewed by Council each year and are set through the Annual Plan or Long-Term Plan process. 

• The initial fee invoice is issued after your application has been lodged. 

• Additional invoices are issued monthly. 

• Monthly invoices are due on the 20th of the month following the invoice date. 

• Additional invoices may be issued if notification or a hearing is required, as additional costs apply. 

Some processing costs are not available to be invoiced immediately. 

This may occur because: 

• staff timesheets require approval before charges are added to an account 

• external consultants and specialist experts invoice their time monthly; these charges also require approval before they are added to an account 

• costs incurred shortly before the decision date may not have been included in the previous monthly invoice  

You remain responsible for all actual and reasonable costs incurred in processing the application. 

Resource consent invoices include charge codes that describe the work undertaken while processing your application.

Why does the same charge code appear multiple times?

Staff may work on an application at different times throughout a day or across multiple days. Each entry represents a separate period of work.

Resource consent applications must be assessed against planning rules, policies, environmental effects and other regulatory requirements. Depending on the nature and complexity of the proposal, a range of staff and technical specialists may be involved. 

These may include: 

• Processing planner – your main point of contact. 

• Senior planners and team leaders – provide oversight and guidance. 

• Decision maker – reviews the assessment and makes the decision.  This may be a council officer or Commissioner.   

• Specialist experts – such as engineers, landscape architects, urban designers, traffic engineers, acoustic specialists and geotechnical engineers. 

QLDC uses external planning consultants to help process resource consent applications. This is common practice across New Zealand and helps councils manage workloads within statutory timeframes. 

External planning consultants are trained in QLDC systems and processes and are charged at the same hourly rates as Council processing planners.

Site visits are undertaken for most resource consent applications. They help the processing planner understand the site, surrounding environment and potential effects of the proposal. 

Other specialists, such as engineers and landscape architects, may also undertake site visits as part of their assessments.

Most resource consent applications are processed without notification. However, if an application is publicly or limited notified, additional costs may apply. 

Current notification fees, hearing fees and related charges are available on the fee schedule, found at the top of this page. 

Application charges apply even if an application is rejected, withdrawn or declined. 

Charges are based on the actual and reasonable costs incurred in processing the application up to that point.

Under the Resource Management (Discount on Administrative Charges) Regulations 2010, a discount may apply if Council does not process a resource consent application within the statutory timeframes. 

The discount is 1% of total processing charges for each working day overdue, up to a maximum of 50%.  Council assesses eligibility and issues refunds quarterly. Where a discount applies, it is automatically credited to the account holder, you do not need to apply.  

If your application is still being processed, please provide an updated application form with the revised invoicing details. 

This is required for audit and debt recovery purposes. The person or organisation named in the invoicing section will be responsible for all charges incurred. 

For assistance, contact resourceconsent@qldc.govt.nz