The ability to subdivide your land into freehold allotments is controlled by a number of factors.
These include:
- ability to provide services (power, water, sewer etc) to the site
- ability to provide safe access to the site and appropriate car parking
- topographical constraints
- built form already on the site
- the size of your site, and
- ability to comply with Permitted Activity rules contained in the City Plan.
Minimum site size for subdivision
The minimum site size for subdividing varies depending on the property zone, this information can be found in the City Plan maps.
For example, the maximum density for a site in the suburban residential zone is one independent dwelling unit per 325m2 of net site area. Net site area is the area of the site less any of that area solely for the purpose of providing access.
If you can’t work out if you have enough land area to subdivide, speak to a licensed cadastral surveyor to confirm what the net site area is. You must also check the requirements of the Suburban Residential Zone Permitted Activity rules.
For subdivision in other zones, see Chapter 12 – Subdivision for the requirements and check the requirements for that zone.
The subdivision process
Your application will include all the requirements of a land use resource consent application, but will also require a scheme plan to be drawn up by a licensed cadastral surveyor.
An approved subdivision consent will normally have a number of conditions that may require other approvals such as building consent and engineering approvals. To apply for subdivision consent, please visit our forms page to download forms required to accompany your application.
There are also additional steps for subdivision consent under Sections 223 and 224 of the RMA that are required to be met before your site is subdivided.
Engineering compliance
Council’s Engineering Compliance requirements can be found in the Infrastructure Development Code (IDC).
Sections 223 approval and 224 approval
Obtaining your section 223 certification from Council demonstrates that your survey plan is in accordance with your approved resource consent. Council's section 224 certification confirms that all of the conditions of your subdivision consent have been met. This approval enables Land Information New Zealand to issue new titles. You need to make a separate application to Council for your sections 223 and 224 certifications. These processes can be done separately or together.
Development Contributions are payable at section 224 stage.
Subdivision consent timeframes
The list below shows steps for subdivision consents:
- Plans prepared by a licensed cadastral surveyor
- Application submitted - taking into account City Plan rules, objectives and policies
- S104 approval for resource consent to subdivide issued
- S223 survey plan approved by Council – this must be applied for within five years of S104 approval
- S224c approval by Council – this must be obtained within three years of S223 approval to allow for deposit of plan with LINZ.
Subdivision costs
There are a number of costs involved in any subdivision process, including:
- Surveyor costs (call a surveyor to find out what these are likely to be)
- Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) costs – your surveyor should also be able to advise these
- Council deposit fees for the application, 223 and 224 process – there may be extra charges for time and cost if an application lengthy to process. Deposit fees are non-refundable
- Development contributions
- Costs involved in providing services such as water, sewerage, stormwater, electricity and telecommunications to each allotment.