Customer Service

You are here > Home > The Council & its People > Customer Service > Good Neighbour Initiative

Good Neighbour Initiative

A BUILDER AND NEIGHBOUR DISCUSSING A BUILDING PROJECT

What is the initiative?

The Good Neighbour initiative aims to encourage effective communications between neighbours, builders and developers.

The scheme will provide advance information to neighbours about approved building work near them and encourage responsible behaviour from owners, builders and developers in managing the impact of the development work.

A neighbour in a residential area is the owner of the property adjacent to the boundary and those across road from the building site. For industrial areas, neighbouring properties are those within an 100m radius.

What role do we play? 

• We will send a courtesy letter to neighbouring properties where building works over the value of $200,000 have been consented on an adjacent property. The $200,000 trigger may be revised to a lower level once the scheme has been trialled.
• Ensure that the consent applicant is aware that this is a normal part of the process from the outset. A copy of the letter will also be sent to the applicant.
• Emphasise to builders and developers the value in good communications between themselves and neighbours, and to encourage responsible work management on site.
• Send out a Good Neighbour brochure with building consent approvals.

What will the letter say?

• Inform neighbours that building work has been approved at a neighbouring property and work will start in the near future.
• Inform neighbours of standard conditions to which the builder must adhere.
• Encourage communication between neighbours and the owner/builder.

Private information such as the building consent applicant’s name and building plans will not be provided in the letter. 

Tips on how to be a good neighbour

• Discuss your project with the neighbours before work on the site starts. This includes those people living either side, behind and across the road from your site.
• Limit the noisy activities to reasonable daylight hours on weekdays 7am-7pm, Saturdays from 10am-6pm and avoid noisy work on Sundays.
• Keep berms, driveways and the road clear of building and demolition material.
• Park legally and ensure that your neighbours can exit their driveways safely with good visibility.
• Do not allow works or materials to encroach onto other people’s property.
• Contain sediment, mud and run-off within the building site.
• Discuss the intended trimming of boundary trees and vegetation, and the intended replacement or removal of any boundary fence, with neighbours before the work begins.
• Exchange contact details with neighbours in case they have queries or want to tell you about a security or weather situation affecting your project.
  

What happens next?

If you have any subsequent enquiries please contact our call centre using the contact us form at the bottom of the page or by calling 06-759 6060.
 
The Good Neighbour initiative will be trialled for a period of six months starting in June 2008.