Direct referral hearings

About direct referral hearings

Direct referral hearings mostly address larger, more complex applications. They are referred directly to the Environment Court.

Under the Resource Management Act 1991, you can ask for the following application types to be referred to the Environment Court:

• notified resource consents
• a Notice of Requirement (NOR)
• an application for a heritage order.

Reasons for direct referrals

Direct referrals save time and reduce costs for applicants and submitters.

Request a direct referral

Visit the Quality Planning website to find out how to request a direct referral.