Chorus Portal Consent and Build categories

When you place an order into Chorus Portal, the Network and Location information will give you guidance on whether consents will need to be gained for the address.

This information can be found by looking at the Dwelling Type, MDU Class, ROW, Consent Status, Consent Category, and MDU Build Status.

 

Field	Field options and descriptions
Dwelling Type	SDU: Single-dwelling unit - but may be part of a ROW. MDU: Multi-dwelling unit – a consent process will apply to  this location. Subdivision: A parcel of land or building that has been divided into one or more further parcels
MDU Class (Multi Dwelling Unit)	Class 0: single-dwelling unit Class 1: 2-5 tenancies Class 2: 6-21 tenancies Class 3: 22-31 tenancies Class 4: 32 or more tenancies Class 5: Greenfield / development Class 6: Special MDU. E.g., hospital, military base, university campus, campground. Classes 1-6 will need to follow the consent process.
ROW (Right of Way)	Yes - This location is part of an ROW and may need to follow the consent process.  No - This location is not part of an ROW.
Consent Status	Consent declined: The consent request has been declined, or it was not obtained within the required time. We ask for a 6mth stand-down period before you place a new order unless circumstances have changed. E.g., new owner, consent has now been given. Consent required: Your order will go through consents process. We will work to gain any consents needed. Consent under action: We’re investigating the consent requirement. Consent gained: We’ve gained consent and will request a technician to organise the Network build. Not required: Consent is not required for this premise.
Consent Category	Unknown – We are not able to determine based on our inventory records Low Impact 1 – The network build will have a minimal effect on the shared premises. We give everyone impacted at least five working days' notice before we start our  build. Medium Impact 2 – The network build may have some physical impact on the shared premise. Affected parties may be able to lodge an objection within 15 working days of receiving information pack. If we don't hear from anyone within this time, we'll begin scheduling work. High Impact 3 – The network build method we use could  have a greater impact on the shared areas of the property. We need consent from all affected neighbours/owners before we can get started.
MDU Build Status	Design and Build Required: The order has come out of consents stage and the site now requires design and build actions before you can schedule a Scope and Install appointment. Ready for Provisioning: NGA can be provisioned at  this location. Once the order has gone through the consent process and the build has been completed, the MDU Build status will change to Ready for Provisioning. You will be notified to schedule an install date with the customer. Not required: MDU build is not required for this premise.

 

Chorus Portal will identify if your order needs to go through our consent process and will refer it to our Consent team for further investigation.

We will check our records and send a technician to site to determine the Consent Category.

Category 1 and 2

For properties that fall within Category 1 or 2, we need to give notice to affected parties rather than gain consent.

We start the build after a pre-determined number of days unless a dispute or objection is raised. As well as the notice period, we allow 5 days for posting of the notification packs. 

A notification pack is sent to affected Category 1 parties with these details.

• Give 5 working days’ notice of when our service provider will enter the property to start work.
• Give a general explanation of the build activity.
• Identify any access areas where the technician may need to use when carrying out the installation.

The notification pack for Category 2 will have the above detail, as well as:

• Give 15 working days’ notice of when our service provider will enter the property to start work. 
• Provide a high level design which will describe or illustrate the installation method and where any network equipment will be housed on the property.
• Detail any rights or responsibilities of body corporates.
• Set out the grounds by which an affected person may object, how they can object, and by when they must object.
• State that we are a member of the disputes resolution scheme, and how to refer to the scheme.

Parties who have been identified as having a Category 2 property and have concerns can lodge an objection on limited grounds via this link.   The grounds for objection are:

• Property ownership is disputed
• Materially negative impact on the value of the person’s property
• The proposed installation will unreasonably impact on the person’s enjoyment of the property, or worsen an existing problem with the property (other than by having a visual impact alone)
• The person can demonstrate that the proposed installation will impede plans for development of the property
• There is an easement over the property affected and the proposed installation will have an enduring impact on the terms and conditions of that easement

Once the objection has been lodged, we will put the build work on hold while we make an assessment and decision as to whether your objection is accepted. 

If the work planned at the premise is classed as a Category 1, or you disagree with our Category 2 objection result, you may be able to take the matter further by following the Disputes Resolution process. There are specific grounds to raise a dispute:

• You disagree about the category of the proposed build work
• You disagree with our decision about a Category 2 objection
• You believe you have a valid reason to object to the proposed work, but it has been classed as a Category 1 build
• The work has been completed but you don’t believe we’ve properly complied with the build requirements (this may include such things as not returning any disturbed surfaces to their former condition as closely as possible).

You can find more information on the Dispute Resolution process here.  

 

Category 3

For Category 3 jobs, we have to gain consent from all affected parties before we can start our build.  A letter is sent to each party with a detailed design and consent form.

We work with all parties to gain consent and aim to do this within 30 working days. If we are making progress at day 30, but still haven’t gained all the consent required, we may advise that we intend to continue to pursue consent.

If at the end of the 30 days no progress has been made, the order will be put into Held / Intent to cancel.  If there is still no progress after 45 days, the order will be cancelled and the Consent Status will change to Consent Declined.

Your customer or their neighbour can provide pre-consent by going to this link and filling in the details as shown below  

 

Next Steps

For all categories, once the notice period has expired, or when consent has been gained, the Chorus Portal order will move into In Progress / Network Design.  Our Service Provider will initiate the build within the building or the shared driveway.  Once completed, they will update records.

The order will then move into Held / Schedule Scoping, and you can schedule the installation with your end customer.

 

More information on our consent processes can be found here.