TOM LEE/STUFF Environment Minister David Parker wrote every council during the first two weeks of lockdown asking them to clear a backlog of resource consents. BACKLOGSNew Zealand Planning Institute Chief Executive David Curtis said IT systems separated the councils who consented projects under lockdown from the ones that didn't. Hamish McNeilly Local Government New Zealand President Dave Cull said council consenting services had been affected by the lockdown. He said pre-lockdown Auckland Council processed 64 per cent of its incoming resource consents on time. For their part, local councils have urged people applying for consents to respond quickly to requests for information under lockdown.

Source: Stuff April 26, 2020 22:41 UTC