

Operational works
What is operational work?
Operational work is a term defined by the Planning Act 2016. It refers to a range of development activities including excavating or filling, erecting an advertising sign, clearing vegetation, road works and infrastructure. If you are undertaking activities such as these, depending on your conditions of approval, you may require operational works approval.
Types of operational work
- Extracting gravel, rock, sand or soil from the place where it occurs naturally.
- Conducting a forest practice.
- Excavating or filling that materially affects premises or their use.
- Undertaking work in, on or under premises that materially affects premises or their use.
- Building a retaining wall associated with reconfiguration of a lot, usually to create lot boundaries (including the earthworks for its construction).
- Clearing vegetation, including vegetation to which the vegetation management act applies.
- Undertaking operations of any kind and all things constructed or installed that allow taking, or interfering with, water (other than using a water truck to pump water) under the Water Act 2000.
- Constructing a non-standard driveway / vehicular crossing (VXO).
- Undertaking:
- prescribed tidal works
- works in a coastal management district
- constructing or raising waterway barrier works
- performing work in a declared fish habitat area
- removing, destroying or damaging a marine plant
- Undertaking roadwork on a local government road.
Refer to the forms and applications section below for links to the forms and to apply online.
For application fees see our Register of fees and charges.
For information and advice regarding post OPW private landscape approval requirements, refer to Post Operational Works Landscape Approval resources.
Related information
- Change to ground level
- Coastal development works
- Coastal seawall construction
- Management plans
- Driveways and vehicular crossings
- Infrastructure works
- Do I need development approval?
- Non-tidal development works
- Temporary ground anchors
- Tree removal
- Libraries
- Media Centre
- Find a park
- Alerts
- Find a waste centre
- Report a problem
- Contact us
- Forms & applications
- Events
- Have your say
- Payments
- Permits & licensing
- Disaster management
- Community Directory