Land Development

From major developments to one-off-consent applications, we can help you gain resource consent swiftly and affordably. With a track record of successful transport resource consent applications, we provide timely transport advice to developers, architects and planners to save money long-term by achieving a safe, attractive, and functional outcome. 

We work with developers to gain consent by providing a transport assessment report with transport planning and engineering advice. 

For any size of development, we have the can-do attitude to set you up for success. 

When a development requires changes to plans, we support our clients with accurate transport data and reports. 

Public plan changes 

We provide independent transport advice for local councils, along with ITAs to support NORs. We also serve as independent transport experts for council hearings, Environment Court hearings, and Boards of Inquiries. 

Private plan change applications 

Many councils require an Integrated Transport Assessment (ITA) as part of a plan change application made under the RMA 1991. We offer ITA services to help private developers gain plan change approvals. 

Notice of Requirement (NOR) for schools or other public works 

The Ministry of Education or other authorities may serve an NOR to designate land for a specific purpose. This designation authorises property projects on the site without resource consents, if the work meets the intended purpose, and an Outline Plan of Works (OPW) has been submitted. We prepare ITAs to support NOR designation applications, OPW submissions, and resource consent applications. 

Our work with the Ministry of Education to provide transport advice has resulted in the support of more than 15 school developments.  

We provide independent advice for local councils on the transport impact of developments and support processing consent applications. Our goal is to achieve better transport outcomes for your communities from commercial developments, supporting local policy and objectives while applying sound transport planning and engineering knowledge. We focus on the issues that matter and have a real impact on residents, customers, visitors, and those using the adjacent transport network. 

Development planning support for local councils includes reviewing transport matters for resource consent applications, peer reviewing specialist input such as transportation modelling or transport design, school travel planning, district plan reviews, car parking management strategies and preparing and presenting expert witness evidence. 

We have reviewed more than 400 transport resource consents including, for Auckland Council, Auckland Transport, Selwyn, Mackenzie, Hurunui, Dunedin, Taupō and Christchurch Councils. 

Plan Changes 

We support councils, central government and private developers with designations and plan changes where the proposed development requires changes to plans. 

We provide independent advice for local councils on the transport impact of developments and support requiring authorities with ITAs supporting NORs. 

For private applications, we prepare ITAs to support Assessments of Environment Effects (AEE) for private plan changes. 

Transport provisions in new developments require careful consideration to ensure easy and enjoyable access. 

Transport due diligence memoranda 

Planning a new development starts with finding the right site. We assess sites and develop a transport due diligence memorandum. This typically includes a description of the existing transport and land use environment, any known future infrastructure changes that may affect the suitability of the site and consideration of accessibility, safety, road frontage, and known traffic conditions. 

Aspects of travel we advise on include: 

• Liaising with consenting authorities to integrate with the surrounding transport network. 

• Considering transport facilities for all road users including those with disabilities.  

• Incorporating public transport and parking provisions. 

• Travel plans to mitigate carbon emissions. 

• Undertaking visibility assessments to ensure safe access to the site. 

Carpark design reviews 

We ensure carpark designs are safe and practical. We consider a range of best practice design principles and undertake a vehicle tracking assessment for any critical parking spaces. We can design carparks or provide written feedback and / or annotated plans. 

Safety auditing 

We undertake safety audits (sometimes called Road Safety or Safe System Audits) for developers at the design stage, and as required under consent conditions. 

Our experts are at the forefront of national and international research and the application of road safety principles for static and digital billboards. We can assess if your billboard will have an impact on the nearby roading environment and can provide a Billboard Transport Assessment to support your resource consent for a static or digital billboard. 

A typical Billboard Transport Assessment includes: 

• An assessment of recent crashes and collisions near the billboard site. 

• Ascertaining the distance and angles of visibility of the billboard for nearby drivers. 

• Advice on how and why billboards may influence road safety, and ways to manage the potential impact of your billboard to minimise these effects. 

• An assessment of the billboard against relevant council requirements. 

• Preparation of consent conditions for the operation of the billboard, that are appropriate to the scale and location of the proposal.