Development and financial contributions policy

A development contribution is a charge levied on new developments e.g. subdivision and buildings. They are used to ensure that those who create additional demand on Council’s infrastructure contribute to the extra cost that they impose on the community rather than the general ratepayers.

These contributions are related to the provision of the following Council services:

• Water supply
• Wastewater supply
• Stormwater supply
• Transportation

If you are subdividing, building, connecting to Council’s services, or otherwise undertaking some kind of development in the Tasman District, you may need to pay development contributions. 

Council can require a development contribution for a development upon the granting of:

• A resource consent.
• A building consent or certificate of acceptance.
• An authorisation for a service connection for water, wastewater or stormwater services.

Development contributions apply to all developments:

• Within the catchments shown in the Development Contribution Area Maps contained in the Development and Financial Contributions Policy 2024 - 2034 (pdf, 7.5 MB)(updated 2025).
• That connect to Council’s water or, wastewater or, stormwater services in the settlements outlined below, or rural extensions from these settlements
• Throughout the District for transportation development contribution charges.

Development Contribution charges that apply in each area from July 2025

You will normally be issued a development contributions notice when your resource consent, building consent, certificate, or service connection is granted. In some cases, the notice may be issued earlier or later.  The notice is an important step in the process as it outlines the services you are paying for and what the charges are that will apply to your development.

If you think we have made a mistake in seeking development contributions for your development, you can request a reconsideration. You can also lodge a formal objection. 

When you receive your development contribution notice, it also triggers your rights to request a development contributions reconsideration or to lodge an objection.

Reconsiderations

• Application for Reconsideration of Development Contribution (pdf, 213 KB)

Reconsideration requests are a process that formally requires us to reconsider our assessment of development contributions for your development. You can make a request for reconsideration if you have grounds to believe that:

• The development contribution levied was incorrectly calculated or assessed under this Policy; or
• We have incorrectly applied this Policy; or
• The information we used to assess your development against this Policy, or the way that we have recorded or used that information when requiring a development contribution, was incomplete or contained errors.

To seek a reconsideration, you must:

• Lodge your reconsideration request within 10 working days of receiving your development contribution notice.
• Use the reconsideration form and supply any supporting information with your form.
• Pay the reconsideration fee of $528 at the time of application.

Applications with insufficient information or without payment of fee will be returned to the applicant, with a request for additional information or payment.

Once you have provided us with all required information and paid the reconsideration fee, your request will be considered by a panel of a minimum of two, and a maximum of three, staff. You will be notified of Council’s decision within 15 working days from the date on which we receive all required relevant information relating to the request.

Objections

• Application for Objection to Development Contributions (pdf, 224 KB)

Objections are a more formal process that allow you to seek a review of our decisions. A panel of up to three independent commissioners will assess the objection. The decisions of the commissioners are binding on Council.

You may make an objection only on the grounds that Council has:

• Failed to properly take into account features of your development that, on their own or cumulatively with those of other developments, would substantially reduce the impact of the development on requirements for community facilities in the district or parts of the District; or
• Required a development contribution for community facilities not required by, or related to, your development, whether on its own or cumulatively with other developments; or
• Required a development contribution in breach of section 200 of the Local Government Act; or
• Incorrectly applied this Policy to your development.

Schedule 13A of the Local Government Act sets out the objection process. If you wish to pursue an objection, you must:

• Lodge your request for an objection within 15 working days of receiving notice to pay a development contribution, or within 15 working days of receiving the outcome of any request for a reconsideration.
• Use the objection form and supply any supporting information with your form.
• Pay a $2,148 deposit.

You are liable for all costs incurred in the objection process including staff and commissioner time, and other costs incurred by Council associated with any hearings.

It depends on the nature and extent of your development, and when we receive a resource or building consent application for your development. 

The development contribution charges as at 1 July 2026 from our 2024-2034 Policy are set out below.

Developments covered by the 2024 – 2034 Financial and Development Contributions Policy are shown in this table.

In order to have a consistent method of charging for development contributions, our development contributions are centred around the concept of a household unit of demand or “HUD” for our infrastructure. In other words, a normal home and the demands it typically places on our infrastructure.

There are other special circumstances that may be relevant to you:

• If you are building a small home you may be eligible for a discount, refer to the Special Assessments section of our Policy for further information.
• If you are building a non-residential development your charges will be assessed using Household Unit of Demand Equivalents, refer to the Non Residential section of our Policy for further information.

In accordance with Section 106 of the Local Government Act, we have applied inflation to the development contribution charges set in our previous Development Contribution Policies. 

The inflation-adjusted charges will apply to developments where, in the case of a Resource Consent, the Section 88 Check was completed, and in the case of a Building Consent when the application was Formally Received by us before 30 June, and where an invoice for this development has not yet been issued. These charges are set out below. 

Developments prior to 1 July 2024 and after 30 June 2021 are covered by the 2021 – 2031 Financial and Development Contributions Policy. See What if I applied for my development before 1 July 2024.

Developments prior to 1 July 2021 and after 30 June 2018 are covered by the 2018 – 2028 Financial and Development Contributions Policy. See What if I applied for my development before 1 July 2021.

Developments prior to 1 July 2018 and after 30 June 2015 are covered by the 2015 – 2025 Development Contributions Policy. 

When we calculate the inflated charges we are required to:

• use the Producers Price Index Outputs for Construction provided by Statistics New Zealand; and
• ensure that inflation is not applied to interest and other financing costs that are incorporated into the charge.

We confirm we have achieved this by:

• Comparing the Producers Price Index from Quarter 1 2025 and Quarter 1 2026 which results in an increase of 2.45%;
• Splitting the existing charges into two parts; Part A - the growth costs excluding interest, and Part B - the interest costs.

Applying inflation of 2.45% to Part A and then adding this to Part B gives the inflated Total Charges. 

2021-2031 Financial and Development Contributions Policy

2018-2028 Financial and Development Contributions Policy

The council manages the naming of streets throughout the District and endeavours to meet suggested names that are submitted by developers or residents. The use of Māori names is encouraged. Duplication of names within Tasman and Nelson City is discouraged.

Read more about the Road Naming Policy. (pdf 588 KB) (pdf, 588 KB)

If you wish to apply to name a new road or rename an exisiting road, you can complete this online application form.