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Buckton Surveyors & Planners Newsletter: Navigating the Subdivision Process

Name: Buckton Surveyors and Planners
Brand: Buckton Surveyors and Planners
Rating: 4.8 (16 reviews)

Giana Pedrazza
Mar 21
5 min read

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Buckton's Manager, Gabriel Hare, flying a drone on site. — Subdivision Plan by Buckton Surveyors and Planners

We specialise in guiding landowners and developers through the subdivision process.

At Buckton Surveyors & Planners, we specialise in guiding landowners and developers through the subdivision process, ensuring smooth navigation of regulatory requirements and efficient project completion. Subdivision is the process of dividing a larger piece of land into smaller lots, either for sale, development or for specific land use purposes.

This process is administered by local councils under the Resource Management Act (RMA) including relevant District Plans and nationwide. A successful subdivision requires careful planning, adherence to legal requirements, and coordination with professionals like us.

Along with the below diagram prepared by Buckton, the following in an outline of the main steps in the subdivision timeline.

Key Steps in the Subdivision Process:

1. Feasibility Study:

Before beginning the subdivision process, it is crucial to determine whether the land is suitable for subdivision. Our team at Buckton Surveyors & Planners will assist you in assessing key considerations such as:

Zoning & Planning Rules: We analyse the Unitary Plan or District Plan of the relevant council to understand zoning restrictions, minimum lot sizes, and land use regulations.
Site Constraints & Conditions: Our team reviews the land for potential constraints and works with other specialists to identify flood zones, geotechnical stability, access limitations, natural hazards, and soil conditions.
Infrastructure & Services: We evaluate the availability of essential services such as water supply, wastewater, stormwater management, and electricity.
Professional Consultation: Our in-house team of Land Surveyors, Planners and Ecologists in cooperation with Engineers and Geotechnical Engineers, provide the necessary reports required for consent applications.

2. Resource Consent Application:

Once we confirm that subdivision is feasible, we handle the preparation and submission of the resource consent application on your behalf. This step involves:

Preparing a Subdivision Plan: Our surveyors draft a detailed plan showing the proposed new boundaries, accessways, easements and land covenant areas.
Supporting Documentation: We coordinate reports from external consultants to address issues such as stormwater management & geotechnical stability.
Application Submission: We lodge the resource consent application with the council and manage the application process.
Public Notification (if required): If the subdivision has more than minor effects on neighbours or affected parties, the environment, the application may require public notification.
Council Decision: We liaise with the council throughout the process to ensure a timely outcome for your subdivision. With some applications, delays are inevitable.

3. Engineering Approvals & Physical Works:

Once resource consent is granted, the Buckton team can guide you through the infrastructure and engineering requirements to ensure you are aware of what is involved.

Engineering Approvals: Detailed designs for roads, driveways, vehicle crossings, drainage, water supply, and other services for council approval may need to be completed or obtained.
Physical Works & Construction: We coordinate with trusted contractors and engineers to ensure all necessary works, including road or accessway formation, utility installation, and site preparation, are completed efficiently.
Inspections & Compliance Checks: Buckton or your engineer will facilitate council inspections to ensure all work meets required standards before approval is granted.

4. As-Built Survey Requirement

After construction is completed, an as-built survey might be required to verify that all infrastructure has been built according to approved plans.

What the As-Built Survey Covers:

Accurate location and dimensions of roads, kerbs, and footpaths;

Underground services like stormwater, wastewater, and water (including depths and connection points);

Power, gas, and telecom services placement;

Any deviations from the original subdivision plan;

The as-built survey plans are then submitted to the council as part of the 224c approval process.

5. Land Transfer Survey:

Initial Boundary & Topographic Survey: Before any subdivision begins, our surveyors conduct a Topographic Survey to:

Determine the exact legal boundaries of the original land parcel;

Identify existing features such as buildings, roads, vegetation ground contours and easements;

Detect encroachments or restrictions that could affect subdivision plans;

Pegging & Marking of New Lot Boundaries: After approval, our surveyors physically peg and mark the proposed new property boundaries. These survey pegs define the lot lines on the ground, ensuring clear identification for future property owners, developers, and utility providers.

Lodging Survey Plans for Title Registration: We prepare legal survey documents, including:

Detailed subdivision plans with new boundary measurements;

Lot numbers, dimensions, and areas;

Easements and land covenants;

Reporting to Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) on how the survey was carried out to meet their specifications;

6. Section 223 Certification:

Section 223 certification is part of the Resource Management Act (RMA), specifically relating to subdivisions. It confirms that the subdivision plan aligns with the conditions of the subdivision resource consent granted by the local council. Once Buckton has prepared your application and the s223 certificate has been granted the consent holder has 3 years from the date of issue to complete the subdivision and obtain titles.

7. Section 224(c) Certification:

Before new titles can be issued, a Section 224(c) certificate must be obtained. Buckton Surveyors & Planners will assist in:

Compliance Documentation: We collate and confirm that all subdivision conditions have been met, including payment of development contributions and legal requirements.
Final Inspection: We liaise with the council to verify that all infrastructure and service connections are properly installed.
Approval & Certification: Once all conditions are met, the council issues the Section 224(c) certificate, a crucial step before obtaining new land titles.

8. Title Issuance & Registration:

The final step in the subdivision process is the legal registration of new land titles. We ensure a smooth transition by:

Lodging the Final Survey Plan: Our licensed surveyors submit the approved subdivision plan to Land Information New Zealand (LINZ).
New Title Issuance: LINZ processes the survey plan and issues new titles for each subdivided lot.
Legal Registration: We work with your solicitor to enable them to finalize the registration and enable sale or development of the new lots.

Common Challenges & Considerations:

Costs & Budgeting: We help you estimate the costs of subdivision, including consent fees, professional services, construction, and infrastructure costs.
Consent Processing Delays: Our experience allows us to anticipate and navigate potential delays in the approval process.
Development Contributions: We provide guidance on financial, or development contributions levied by councils for local infrastructure improvements, such as parks and reserves, roading, services and community facilities.
Legal & Ownership Issues: Our team ensures that all legal requirements are met, particularly in cases involving multiple landowners or restrictive covenants, and will arrange for the issue of the new Records of Title.