Smarter consent processing delivering accuracy and confidence
Discover how Selwyn District Council delivers faster, more consistent decisions thanks to Rico’s structured workflows.
“Rico does what we used to do manually - only faster and more accurately. We wanted to save planner hours, improve accuracy, and lift consistency across a large team. No one wants to go back to the old way..”
Emma
Consents Manager
“Rico makes planners consciously consider each step so key matters are not missed.”
“With Rico, I get more done with fewer keystrokes, and less copying and pasting compared to Word.”
Richard
Team Leader
Andrew
Planner
Business challenges for Selwyn
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Surging application volumes straining planners and statutory decision timeframes
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Added complexity from a new, partially operative district plan
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Manual, Word-based workflows slowing down processing and leaving gaps
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Formatting frustrations and inconsistencies across a mixed-experience team
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Concerns about ensuring planners understood why provisions applied, not just box-ticking
Rico Solution
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Purpose-built consent processing platform replacing Word templates
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Structured, step-by-step workflow prompting planners to consider all provisions
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Automation removing administrative overhead and formatting frustrations
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Faster peer review and clearer reporting for decision-makers
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Confidence that nothing has been overlooked, even in complex cases
Key numbers
48% increase
in applications year on year for Selwyn council
2 months
for full Rico setup and onboarding for all planning teams
100% coverage
of planning provisions documented
Result
With Rico, Selwyn planners have:
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Streamlined processing of resource consents and building consent checks
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Improved consistency and accuracy across a growing team
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Reduced RFIs through comprehensive planning checksheets
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Greater confidence in the integrity of assessments
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Freed time to focus on complex, value-added planning work
