As part of the council's planning for its annual plan, staff reviewed its fees and charges recommending the status quo for most charges except the deposit for non-notified and limited notification consents.
For those consents, it was recommended the $500 deposit be increased to $1500, as the higher deposit more closely reflected the likely costs of processing the consents.
In the past four months, the average cost of processing 20 consents was $2400 with only three being below $1150, the report to the finance and corporate committee this week said.
Other advantages to the increase would be smaller bills being sent out for additional costs and reducing the level of debtors, it said.
Cr Sam Neill said non-notified and limited notification consents were "relatively straightforward" and he could see no reason why it should be increased.
People complained about the cost of the deposit now, let alone with an increase, and at least when they received the "additional costs" bill, they had achieved what they wanted, he said.
"I think it should go back to the status quo."
His motion that the deposit remain at $500 was carried six votes to four, after committee chairman Cr Duncan Butcher asked for a show of hands.
Cr Gerry Eckhoff said he fielded a number of complaints from people who resented the charges for resource consents.
He suggested an independent audit of the council's fees and charges should be done to reassure the public they were fair and reasonable, which he was sure they were, but his motion was voted down.
Cr Bryan Scott said all an audit would do was confirm the fees were a true and reasonable reflection of the costs of doing the business of council.
"It's a costly business."
However, the real challenge was for council to try to reduce costs over time, he said.
Chairman Stephen Woodhead said the council should continue to focus on improving processes and looking at ways to make it more efficient.
Cr David Shepherd said applicants also needed to be aware of their responsibilities to keep costs down.
Cr Butcher said it was three or four years since the council last raised fees other than last year's goods and services tax (GST) increase and it had been able to achieve more efficiencies with its new data system.
"Keeping our foot on the throat of costs is a better way."
Cr Trevor Kempton said the focus should be on the fact that the council was not raising the majority of its charges even though salary and other costs were rising.
"Our charges continue to be under good control."
Councillors also passed a recommendation that set fees for specific consent holders which were large consent holders such as district councils, power companies and industries like Oceania Gold, were to be amended if appropriate following a review.
