Environmental and Urban Planning

We advise on the district, regional and unitary planning and statutory requirements, and the development potential of projects. We prepare and process resource consent applications and provide the environmental expertise necessary for AEEs involving infrastructure, multi lot subdivisions, network utilities and commercial /residential ventures.

We have significant experience with notices of requirement, outline plans of works, designation alterations and requiring authority applications, and have prepared several local and national policy documents and submissions.

Busy city street intersection in downtown with modern glass skyscrapers and historic building, cars and buses in motion, illuminated windows, and pedestrians waiting at crosswalks during dusk.

Case Studies

A long concrete pier with metal railings extends over blue water toward the horizon, with a few people walking on it and distant land on either side.

Align is providing the Hutt City Council with planning advice and resource consenting services in relation to the Petone and Point Howard Wharf projects.
The Petone Wharf has been an iconic feature of the foreshore since its completion in 1909 and has been well-loved by recreational users and beach goers long after its use for commercial shipping activities ceased. The Wharf was closed to the public after the suffering earthquake damage in January 2021.

A tall black utility pole with multiple power lines against a cloudy sky, with trees at the bottom of the image.

Align was engaged by PowerCo to undertake planning assessments and prepare resource consent applications to replace and relocate the support structures, and associated overhead line for a section of 33 kV power line spanning the Waingawa River in the Wairarapa.
The project involved removing existing structures from the bed of the river, and replacing other structures further away from the active streambed for resilience. With the Waingawa River being the boundary between the Carterton and Masterton District Council’s, the project required engagement and negotiation with both authorities.

A person working on architectural plans at a wooden table, using a folding ruler, with a rolled-up blueprint nearby.

Align provides professional services to Auckland Council to assist with consent processing across the region. We also provide services to the Premium team for complex land development applications. Reviews range from single dwellings through to large scale 100+ new dwellings and new suburbs.
We work with several of the council teams to ensure the efficient processing of consents. At the beginning of larger jobs, we attend pre-application meetings in order to provide consistency to applicants. We take a collaborative approach with applicants and Council specialists to ensure quality outcomes that meet both Council and community expectations, and the applicant’s needs.
A large proportion of the consents handled by Align are processed within the statutory timeframes and budgets. Our collaborative approach provides for good relations. Council achieves its statutory requirements when they do not have sufficient in-house capacity.

Two construction workers in safety vests and helmets working near a water drain, collecting samples with a net. One worker is standing inside the drain, and the other is crouching outside, surrounded by grass and plants.

The Dowse to Petone Interchange provides an expressway connection to State Highway 2 in Lower Hutt, improving traffic flow and access for road users and the surrounding community. The project also enhanced access to Percy Scenic Reserve, improved parking and access at Petone Station, and provided a parallel service road for the Korokoro industrial area.
Align developed a comprehensive compliance and environmental effects register and an environmental management system supported by nine management plans. Align audited the project weekly for more than two years.
The project fully complied with the Resource Management Act 1991 and achieved three consecutive A Grade audit results by an independent auditing team from Fletchers.

Workers in orange safety vests and helmets repairing power lines on a wooden utility pole beside a rural road with traffic cones, mountains, trees, and a partly cloudy sky in the background.

Wellington Electricity required upgrades and new sections of overhead and underground 33 kV line to provide greater resilience to the growing Tawa area of Wellington.
Align provided strategic planning and property advice, landowner and stakeholder engagement / negotiation services and prepared resource consent applications to facilitate this critical inner city resilience project.

Multi-story apartment building with balconies and modern design, surrounded by residential neighborhood with houses and greenery under a blue sky.

The Auckland social housing development at 2 Wilson Road Glen Eden involved a six storey apartment building comprising 39 single bedroom apartments on a 1318 square metre site. Located near the town centre and public transport, the development provides access to community services.
Align completed planning assessments for the project, which was primarily designed for elderly residents. The work focused on identifying key planning issues and managing risk.
Align led pre application discussions with Auckland Council planners before lodging the application. Resource consent was obtained under the Auckland Unitary Plan 2016 and processed within statutory timeframes without section 92 requests.

A street sign reading 'Totara Valley Rd' with a yellow and black caution sign below it, along a road with construction cones and a grassy shoulder, surrounded by trees and cloudy sky.

This project involved Thames Coromandel District Council upgrading the road service network to cater for future growth. The Totara Valley Road area was identified as suitable for residential growth but much of the road did not accommodate water, waste water and stormwater utilities.
Align was engaged to negotiate the acquisition of partial property requirements to enable a widening of the road corridor to accommodate additional infrastructure and traffic, and to prepare the notice of requirement to designate and authorise the required works, including a landscape and visual assessment and photomontages.

Aerial view of a highway interchange with multiple lanes, roads, and roundabouts surrounded by greenery and hills, with some vehicles traveling on the roads.

The NZ Transport Agency is enhancing the safety and journey time reliability on State Highway 58, between State Highway 2 and the Pauatahanui roundabout. To achieve this they are widening the highway and its four bridges, installing wire rope safety barriers, improving the intersections, straightening the curves and lowering speed limits. Align is obtaining all the statutory approvals, including the designation alterations and regional consents.
We are working closely with the designers and engineers to avoid and mitigate potential effects while drafting the Assessment of Environmental Effects to support the alterations and applications.