Choose the right permit type
Getting the permit type wrong is one of the most common reasons applications get sent back. Before you start, work through these questions:
Excavation or non-excavation? If you're digging, trenching, or reinstating the road surface, you need an excavation permit. Warranty obligations apply. Non-excavation covers things like events, scaffolding, crane work, surveying, and maintenance that doesn't break the road surface.
Site-specific or global permit? Global permits are designed for repetitive, non-intrusive work across the network (routine inspections, sign maintenance, mowing under a service agreement). They save you from submitting a separate application for every site. Use a site-specific permit when the work involves particular risks, traffic impacts, or disruption that needs managing differently at each location.
If you're unsure which type to use, check with the relevant authority before submitting. It's faster than resubmitting with the correct type.
Check the planning map first
Before submitting, open the planning map and check for existing or upcoming work on the same stretch of road. If there's a conflict, it will be flagged during the review process and you'll be asked to coordinate or reschedule.
Checking first lets you adjust your dates or reach out to the other party before you submit. The planning map also shows you useful corridor information like traffic volumes, road classification, and public transport routes, which helps you put together a stronger application and TMP.
Submit a complete application
Every incomplete application creates a round trip that adds days to your timeline. The most common reasons applications are returned:
Missing or incomplete traffic management plans. Vague location descriptions. Wrong permit type selected. Missing excavation or reinstatement details. Not identifying road classification or traffic impacts.
The submission process guides you through what's needed. Rather than filling in the minimum, think about what the reviewer needs to make a decision: what you're doing, where, how long, and what the impact will be.
Get your TMPs right
A weak TMP is the single biggest cause of permit delays. Reviewers are checking whether your plan manages the risks at your specific site. Things that commonly cause pushback:
Layout diagrams that don't match the actual site. Detour plans that don't work in practice (one-way streets, weight-restricted bridges, school zones). Incorrect RCA assignment when work spans multiple jurisdictions.
For complex work needing multiple layouts, submit them all together so the reviewer can assess the full picture in one pass.
Note: With the transition to NZGTTM, contractors take on greater responsibility for developing and implementing TMPs. Make sure your risk assessment is robust and your plan reflects it.
Respond to conditions promptly
Once your application is being reviewed, the biggest thing you control is how fast you respond to conditions or requests for more information. All communication is in one place within myWorksites, so you can see what's been asked and respond directly.
Applications that could be approved in a week often take three because conditions sit unanswered. Make responding to authority queries a priority, not something that waits.
Submit your notifications on time
After approval, you need to submit a start-work notification before your crew gets on site and a completion notice when the work is finished.
Missing these can trigger automatic fees. Authorities also rely on this information to keep their network picture accurate, which affects coordination decisions for other work on the corridor.
Build these notifications into your standard workflow. For excavation work, also stay across your warranty obligations and keep your records up to date.