Find out what concession you will need and how to apply for one below. 

Pre-application advice

Applying for a concession for the first time can be a little tricky. To ensure your application goes smoothly we advise you to contact us for pre-application advice. We’ll help you to:

• understand the concession you will need to apply for
• navigate our statutory planning documents, so you can consider whether the activity you wish to undertake is consistent with them
• understand DOC’s responsibility to give effect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, which requires consultation with Treaty Partners on most applications. If you wish, DOC can help you contact the local iwi, hapū, and whānau to assess whether your proposed activity will have any cultural effects. Often this consultation can enhance the activity you are considering.

Apply for your concession

Follow the process below:

Fill in:

Easement application form (PDF, 715K) or (Word, 107K)

Email the forms along with the relevant documents requested to permissions@doc.govt.nz.

Identify the name and status of the public conservation land you wish to use by checking DOC maps.

Find out more about the process and how to prepare your application.

Permissions application process

Preparing a permission application

If your application is approved we will send you a contract which you must sign and return before proceeding with your activity.

Environmental Impact Assessment

As part of your application you will need to complete a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Timeframe

Complex applications could take a number of months to be processed. Your application may be considered complex if it needs an in-depth assessment of the environmental effects. For example, applications for multiple sites/activities, unusual activities or sensitive locations. In this case you will be provided with an estimated cost and timeframe after you have submitted your application.

How long it takes to process an application

Fees

We charge an application processing fee based on the time required to process your application and staff hourly charge-out rates. Complex applications cost more as they take longer to process.

After you apply, we will assign your application to a processing category that reflects its complexity. Each category has a minimum processing fee.

Learn more about processing categories and minimum fees

If you seek pre-application advice, we can tell you the category and minimum processing fee that will most likely apply to your application. We will confirm your minimum processing fee once your application is accepted and assigned to a processing category. If we expect your processing fee to exceed the minimum fee, we will give you a non-binding fee estimate before we start work.

We will usually invoice your fee after processing is complete. If you withdraw your application, you will be charged for any work already done.

If your application is approved, ongoing permission fees may apply.