Subdivision landscape assets

It is important for landscape architects to be involved in the subdivision scheme design stage, as there are essential interdependencies between civil engineering works and landscape design, such as slopes, watercourse design, berm widths, and locations of services in streets.

A pre-application meeting with the landscape approvals team to seek feedback on a draft scheme design plan can be a good idea at this stage.

Innovative landscape design should occur where site conditions, such as compacted ground and high water tables, would limit the potential for the successful establishment of trees and plants if more traditional designs were to be implemented.

When resource consent is granted, there will be conditions of consent that relate to the landscaping. To ensure that scheme designs are constructible, the landscaping must be considered a key part of the development from the beginning, not as an afterthought.

Plans and design reports must provide sufficient detail to demonstrate compliance with your consent conditions, and with the:

• Construction Standard Specification (CSS) – Mostly part 7
• Infrastructure Design Standard (IDS) – Mostly parts 3 and 10
• Waterways, Wetlands and Drainage Guide (WWDG) – Where applicable 

Plans

Plans must show:

• The subdivision name and RMA consent number.
• Land parcel boundaries and lot numbers.
• North point and recognised plan scale (1:100 or 1:200).
• Dimensions – for example, widths of landscape strips and berms, areas of garden beds.
• The size and proposed reserve classification of new parks.
• Plant and tree planting schedules, including species, quantity, spacing, and height or grade at time of planting and at maturity. Note: any hatched areas must specify the density and spacing on the plans.
• Accurate locations of existing trees to be retained.
• Existing and proposed drainage, utility services and light poles.
• Indicative locations of future driveways.
• Ground contours where applicable Note: this is required for any land drainage assets.
• Ground surface materials (turf, mulch, hard surfacing, etc.).
• Fencing, bollards and other structures – type, materials, height, locations and a drawn elevation.
• Play equipment - Location, equipment type, dimensions and fall zones.

Design report

A design report must be provided alongside the plans. The requirement for a design report is specified in IDS 10.3.2. 

Design report guide for subdivision landscape assets [PDF, 544 KB].

The design report must:  

• Show an understanding of the inherent characteristics and values of the site (e.g. social, cultural, environmental/ecological, economic, historic, recreational), including the existing landform and vegetation.
• Outline the design philosophy and intent.
• Confirm compliance with the IDS.
• Confirm compliance with the guidelines for safe environmental design outlined in CPTED and Chapter 15 of the WWDG Part B.
• Confirm compliance with the principles of providing a barrier-free environment outlined in the Parks and Waterways Access Policy.

The design report must also include:

• The safety audit.
• Details of the subsoil, water table, any earthworks and potential effects on compatibility with the planting design and establishment, including remedial measures where applicable.

Evidence is required that proposed structures shown on landscape plans will comply with the requirements of the Building Code where applicable and that playground equipment will comply with NZS 5828-2015 playground equipment and surfacing.

Refer to the design review checklist [DOCX, 385 KB] for further details on the Council’s review and acceptance process. This includes a checklist of specifications that are checked by the Council. We recommend the use of this checklist for your design reviews before submitting. 

Submit your landscape plans and design report to landscape.approval@ccc.govt.nz.

• Please quote the subdivision RMA number, subdivision name, and stage (if applicable) in the subject line.
• If possible, submission well in advance of planting season is recommended.

We obtain input from Council’s operations teams to identify and address any concerns regarding your design, including suitability and ongoing maintenance requirements and costs.

We will respond with collated feedback: questions, recommendations and requests for design amendments.

You will be sent the plans that are stamped as accepted by Council, and a Landscape Plans Acceptance Letter that provides information regarding Council’s requirements for the landscaping assets to be accepted at practical and final completion.

Reserve development contributions offset

A development contributions offset is not the same as a bond.

A reserve development contributions offset is a sum that is credited by the Council to a developer, for an agreed value of land and landscape improvements to a future recreation reserve. Reserve development contributions offsets are agreed to by the Council to cover the cost of improvements on some recreation reserves that meet specific criteria.

Please refer to the Development Contributions Policy(external link) for further details.

Where a development contributions offset has been agreed to, this will be stated as a consent condition. A schedule of costs must be submitted to the Council’s Parks Unit for agreement before the Council accepts the landscape plans for that reserve.

• The maximum available budget the Parks Unit has to fund landscape improvements within a recreation reserve is $250,000 (excluding GST).  This is a key constraint to be aware of before submitting your plans to the Council for acceptance. 
• The amount of the reserve development contributions offset does not include any civil works, landscape architecture drawing/design fees, or the establishment of grassed areas.
• It does include all other costs associated with landscape improvements:
  • Trees and shrubs/groundcover – supply, planting and establishment maintenance.
  • Grass – establishment maintenance only (mowing).
  • Hard landscaping – supply and installation of paving, playground equipment and surfacing, structures and furniture.

Submit Bond Schedule

Schedules for the purposes of bonding must be submitted to landscape.approval@ccc.govt.nz after the acceptance of your landscape plans.

Bond schedules must align with the accepted landscape plans and the actual costs of the specified work. The bond schedule template [XLSX, 31 KB] specifies the items that are to be included in the bond schedule and includes a list of minimum acceptable rates for some items.

For ongoing efficient administration of bond monies, the Council issues separate invoices for:

• Soft landscaping in streets, such as garden beds and trees.
• Soft landscaping in reserves, such as grass, shrubs and ground cover, riparian planting, and trees.
• Hard landscaping, such as paths, tracks, playground equipment and surfacing, structures and furniture, and civil works in reserves where applicable.

Separate schedules for each of these categories – or separated sections within a single schedule – are preferred.

Once the schedules have been accepted, the Council will stamp and return them. Depending on the timing of the bond invoices being issued, the Council may return the schedule attached to the bond form for the developer or authorised agent to sign.

Request bond invoices

Bond invoices must be requested and paid before certification under section 224(c) RMA can be issued by the Council.

Before a bond invoice can be issued, the bond form in the IDS Part 2 Appendix IV [PDF, 5.1 MB] must be signed by the developer or their authorised agent and returned to the Council.

• The bond form is the legal agreement that sets out the terms and conditions of the bond.
• The form specifies the work being bonded and the bond value. 
• It is expected that the work specified in the bond form will be completed at the same time so that the refunds at practical and final completion can be processed by the Council without an excessive administrative burden.

The bond value, and the items to be bonded, are dependent on whether the Council has accepted the assets at practical completion:

Scenario 1: Acceptance of the assets at practical completion has been confirmed by the Council

• Costs associated with the supply and installation of hard landscaping in reserves will not be bonded.
• The amount to be paid to the Council as a bond is generally 50% of the total cost to supply, plant and maintain all soft landscaping for the length of the establishment period.
• Council reserves the discretion to require more than 50%. Where more than 50% is required, reasons will be provided.

Scenario 2: Acceptance of the assets at practical completion has not been confirmed by the Council

• The cost to supply and install hard landscaping within reserves will be bonded.
• If civil works within reserves are incomplete at the time of bond invoices being issued, those costs will be bonded.
• The amount to be paid to the Council as a bond is 100% of all costs.

Following the Council’s acceptance of the assets at practical completion, refunds may be requested.

• 100% of the hard landscaping and civil bond will be refunded.
• Up to 50% of a soft landscaping bond can be refunded. Where the Council refunds less than 50%, reasons will be provided.
• The remaining portion of the soft landscaping bond is retained by the Council throughout the establishment period.

It is the developer’s responsibility:

• To engage suitably experienced and qualified personnel.
• To have contracts that produce, establish and maintain landscaping to the required standards.
• To manage their own quality assurance in accordance with the IDS Part 3.
• To manage their landscape contractors and ensure compliance with the CSS and any relevant consent conditions. The council does not typically engage directly with the developer’s landscape contractors.

Trees and plants are to be checked by suitably experienced and qualified personnel at procurement and prior to planting. 

Engineer’s report guide for subdivision landscape assets [PDF, 777 KB].

Council audits the landscaping at practical completion to confirm compliance with the accepted plans, CSS, IDS and consent conditions.

Engineer’s report

An engineer’s report, specific to landscaping, must be provided to Council before a practical completion inspection can be scheduled.

The requirement for an engineer’s report is specified in IDS 10.3.4. An engineer’s report must include the following certifications and documentation:

• Confirmation from the landscape architect or contract engineer that they have inspected the assets, and that all works are completed in accordance with the accepted plans, CSS and consent conditions.
• Any trees to be vested must have quality assurance documentation which has been prepared by a qualified arborist.
• Confirmation that as-built asset data has been provided as specified in IDS Part 12. This is usually provided as a copy of the confirmation email that is sent to the submitter when the data is submitted via the Council portal.
• Certification for any playground equipment and structures, where applicable. Playgrounds must be certified as compliant with NZS 5828:2015 Playground equipment and surfacing, prior to being open for public use. Where a structure requires building consent or exemption, a PS3 or PS4 producer statement is required.
• Warranties and maintenance manuals for any playground equipment and structures, where applicable.

Engineer's report guide for subdivision landscape assets. [PDF, 777 KB]

Submit your engineer’s report and request for a practical completion inspection to landscape.approval@ccc.govt.nz. At least two weeks advance notice is required for inspections.

The Parks and Landscapes Team reviews the engineer’s report, coordinates inspections with various operational staff, and coordinates the feedback and documentation from those inspections.

There are three scenarios

Following practical completion acceptance, the Council will issue a practical completion acceptance letter. The letter will specify the date of practical completion and the expected date of final completion and handover.

Establishment periods are specified in the consent conditions and are typically 24 months. In some situations, such as older consents, the establishment period specified for most landscaping is 12 months, with landscaping within stormwater basins specified as 24 months.

Evidence that the defects identified in the practical completion acceptance letter have been rectified in the specified timeframes is to be provided via landscape.approval@ccc.govt.nz, or in the monthly maintenance reports.

The landscape plantings and assets are to be maintained to an acceptable standard for the duration of the establishment period, as specified in the CSS Part 7 Section 14 Establishment.

The developer’s landscape architect or contract engineer and/or contractors are expected to regularly visit the site to monitor the condition of the landscape plantings and assets, and carry out any required establishment and maintenance works.

It is recommended that the developer’s landscape architects work closely with the contractors and undertake regular inspections of the landscaping assets during the establishment period.

Monthly maintenance reports

To demonstrate compliance with the quality assurance requirements in IDS Part 3 and 10, Monthly Maintenance Reports must be submitted to Council. Monthly maintenance reports should provide the:

• Dates the inspections and works were carried out.
• Actions taken to maintain the condition of the landscaping assets (such as mowing, watering, pruning, weeding, replacement planting, pest control, mulch replenishment, play equipment maintenance, litter removal etc.).
• Current condition of the landscaping assets.
• Reasons for any deterioration in condition or losses.
• Actions to be undertaken to maintain and/or improve the condition.

The monthly maintenance checklist provided in the CSS Part 7, Appendix 1 [PDF, 910 KB] can be included with the report.

The council audits the landscaping at final completion to confirm compliance with the accepted plans, the CSS and consent conditions.

You must provide the following certifications when requesting a final completion inspection:

• An Engineer’s Completion Certificate, completed and signed by the engineer to the contract. Generally, the arborist engaged by the developer will be the engineer to the contract with respect to trees while the landscape architect engaged by the developer will be the engineer to the contract for the remainder of the assets.

• • This documentation confirms that the assets have been inspected by suitably qualified and experienced personnel and that all works have been completed and maintained to the standards specified in the consent conditions, the IDS, the CSS, and the accepted plans.
  • There is a template Engineer’s Completion Certificate provided in the IDS Part 3 Appendix VII.
• Final plans that incorporate all accepted NCRs since the as-built asset data was provided at practical completion. Where required, the updated landscape plans will be used by the Council to update the asset data.
• The monthly maintenance reports, if these have not been provided previously.

Submit your certifications and request for a final completion inspection to landscape.approval@ccc.govt.nz. At least two weeks advance notice is required for inspections.  

The Parks and Landscapes Team reviews the completion certification information, coordinates inspections with various operational staff, and coordinates the feedback and documentation from those inspections.

There are three scenarios

Following acceptance of the assets at Final Completion, the Council will issue a Final Completion Confirmation Letter. The letter will confirm the date that maintenance is or was taken over by the Council.

If a portion of the soft landscaping bond is being retained by the Council, the letter will communicate the amount being retained and the reasons.  

Bond refunds may be requested from landscape.approval@ccc.govt.nz once the Final Completion Confirmation Letter has been issued, or Council will be in touch to arrange the refund.