Week 6 - People

4.1. Landscape Assessment & Consultation

Two important assessment tools for determining the impact of an activity on people are Landscape Assessment and Consultation.

Landscape Assessment

Factors that can help in identifying valued landscapes include:

• Presence/absence of statutory landscape designations;
• Presence/absence of local landscape designations and associated controls;
• Landscape quality/condition;
• Scenic quality;
• Rarity of particular elements/features;
• Representiveness;
• Conservation interest;
• Recreation value;
• Perpetual aspects; and
• Cultural / iwi. 

First image (junction at highway 16 Auckland from www.loveyourneighbour.co.nz

Consultation

In terms of consultation, in the context of seeking a resource consent, consultation is the process of communicating with people or groups who may be interested in or affected by your proposal.  Early consultation can help avoid or ease opposition to your proposal later in the process.

• Public participation is one of the key principles underlying the RMA. !
• The RMA does not require you, as an applicant, to consult anyone about your application for resource consent, but sometimes there’s a duty under another Act to consult; these duties must still be complied with.
• The RMA does require people applying for resource consent to submit a record of any consultation undertaken and the responses received. This can give decision-makers the information they need to make well-founded decisions.
• There are benefits for an applicant where consultation is concerned.