Govt releases fast-track consents list

Trans-Tasman Resources - which wants to mine ironsands off the coast of South Taranaki - is one...
Trans-Tasman Resources - which wants to mine ironsands off the coast of South Taranaki - is one of the firms invited to apply for a fast-track consent. Photo: RNZ
The government has released the list of organisations it provided information to on how to apply for fast-track consents - just hours before public submissions on the bill close.

The list contains the identities of the stakeholders, and includes district councils, iwi, mining companies, housing developers, power companies, and fisheries.

However, it contains no details on potential projects.

The Fast-track Approvals Bill aims to speed up approvals for infrastructure and development projects of regional or national significance, and reduce consenting costs.

An advisory panel has been set up to recommend projects for fast-tracking.

However, cabinet ministers Chris Bishop, Shane Jones, and Simeon Brown have the final sign-off over which projects are included in the legislation.

The application process closes on May 3.

Bishop's office had already released the letter he sent to the companies.

Although the letter indicates the companies were invited to apply, or had a high level of interest in applying, Bishop said it should not be assumed a stakeholder on the list would submit a project.

"This was a courtesy form letter which simply directed potential applicants to the Ministry for the Environment's online application form," Bishop said.

"Having been sent this letter in no way guarantees that an applicant will choose to submit a project into the new process. If they did choose to submit a project, having received the form letter from me does not mean they would receive any preferential treatment."

Bishop said ministers and agencies had received a series of Official Information Act requests for the list, so he was releasing it "in the interests of transparency".

However, Forest & Bird has disputed this. Its conservation and advocacy group manager Richard Capie said the only reason the list was released was because Forest & Bird had complained to the Ombudsman.

In a statement, the Office of the Ombudsman confirmed it had received a complaint.

"We can confirm the chief ombudsman received a complaint from Forest and Bird as described by the minister's office and commenced an investigation under urgency given the timeframes involved. The chief ombudsman conveyed a provisional opinion on Wednesday this week to the minister, however the matter was resolved by the minister's decision to release the fast track stakeholder list today."

Forest & Bird is one of the groups that sent OIA requests, and has frequently criticised a lack of transparency behind the bill, and the power it gives the three ministers.

"That the government didn't want to release this information and that it's now only coming out the day that submissions close shows just how anti-democratic this whole thing is," he said.

In response, Bishop said the claim the Ombudsman had forced the release was false, and that Forest & Bird had actually asked the Ombudsman to order the release of a list of possible projects ministers may wish to consider for inclusion in the bill.

"This list was never substantively considered by ministers as it was around that time that Cabinet agreed an Expert Advisory Group should be stood up to undertake a more thorough and independent analysis of projects that could be included in the bill. I explained to the Ombudsman that to release that list of projects would be confusing and misleading, given it had been set aside in favour of the Expert Advisory Group process," Bishop said.

"The Ombudsman did not order the release of that long-since discarded projects list, but as a sign of good faith I proactively offered to release this list of stakeholders. This was agreed to this morning, and I have released the list of stakeholders on the same day."

Public submissions on the bill close at 11:59pm today.

Forest & Bird said it was "deeply cynical" that the list was released just hours before the deadline. It said the submission process should be extended, now that the identities of who received the letter had been made public.

"How much longer will New Zealanders be kept waiting to find out which of these organisations will have their projects included in the first 100 projects destined to be fast-tracked?" Capie said.

"In light of this just-released information, at the very least, the select committee needs to extend the submission process so that people have time to see what kind of environmental destruction is being proposed in their communities."

The full list:

215 Riverbend Ltd

Ahuriri Hapū (Mana Ahuriri Trust)

Airedale Property

Amuri Irrigation Company

Apanui

Ᾱtiawa ki Whakarongotai

Aquaculture Direct

B&A Urban & Environmental

Baldwin

Bathurst Resources

Buller District Council

Carter Group

Chatham Rock Phosphate Ltd

Citadel

Clearwater Mussels

CNI Iwi Holdings Limited (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Manawa, Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty), Ngāti Whakaue, Raukawa, Ngāti Whare, Te Arawa)

Colliers Project Leaders

Cook | Costello

Electronet Group

Energy Resources

FNSF

Fonterra

Foresta NZ

Harmony Energy

Hei o Wharekaho Settlement Trust (Ngāti Hei)

Heretaunga Tamatea Settlement Trust (Tamatea Pōkai Whenua)

Hineuru Iwi Trust (Ngāti Hineuru)

HRM Associates

Impact Marine

Irrigation NZ

Kahukuraariki Trust (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa)

Kelp Blue

King Salmon

Kings Quarry

MacLab NZ LTD

Maraeroa A and B Trust, Maraeroa A and B Blocks Incorporation

Marlborough District Council

Marutūāhu Collective (Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngaati Whanaunga, Te Patukirikiri)

Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust

Meridian

Moriori Imi Settlement Trust

National Steel Ltd

Nelson City Council

Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Porou (inc 6 trusts)

Ngā Hapū ō Otaki (Raukawa and Muaūpoko)

Ngā Maunga Whakahii o Kaipara Development Trust, Ngā Maunga Whakahii o Kaipara Tari Pupuritaonga Trust

Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore Trust (Ngā Pōtiki)

Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui

Ngā Uri o Tamanui Trust (group 1)

Ngā Uri o Tamanui Trust (group 2)

Ngaati Whanaunga

Ngai Tahu Seafood

Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Trust

Ngāi Te Rangi Settlement Trust

Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Post-Settlement Trust (Ngāti Apa)

Ngāti Hako

Ngāti Hauā Iwi Trust

Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa - Tāmaki Nui ā Rua Settlement Trust

Ngāti Mākino Iwi Authority

Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust

Ngāti Maru (Hauraki)

Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri

Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust, Ngāti Pāhauwera Tiaki Trust

Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust

Ngāti Porou ki Hauraki

Ngāti Ranginui Settlement Trust (Ngā Hapu o Ngāti Ranginui)

Ngāti Rangiteaorere Koromatua Council Trust

Ngāti Rārua Settlement Trust

Ngāti Rehua - Ngāti Wai ki Aotea Trust

Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana Negotiation Group

Ngāti Tama ki te Waipounamu Trust (Ngāti Tama)

Ngāti Tamaoho Settlement Trust

Ngāti Tamaterā

Ngāti Tara Tokanui Trust

Ngāti Tumutumu Trust (Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu)

Ngāti Tūrangitukua Charitable Trust

Ngāti Tūwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Settlement Trust

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust

Northport Port

Oceana Gold (New Zealand) Ltd

Omega Seafood

Opotiki Marina and Industrial Park Ltd

Pare Hauraki Collective (Ngāti Hako, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Porou ki Hauraki, Ngāti Pukenga, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāti tara Tokanui, Ngaati Whanaunga, Te Patukirikiri)

Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board

Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust

Port of Tauranga Limited

Pouakani Trust

Pragma

Rangatira Developments Limited /Stevenson Mining

Rangitāne o Manawatū Settlement Trust

Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā Trust

Raukawa Settlement Trust

RCL Group

Rongowhakaata Settlement Trust

Sam's Creek Gold/Siren

Sanford NZ

Santana

Scope Projects

Southern Parallel Campus Limited

Stantec

Stevenson Aggregates Ltd

Summerset Group

Taimoana Consulting

Talleys

Tāmanuhiri Tūtū Poroporo Trust (Ngāi Tāmanuhiri)

Tapuika Iwi Authority Trust

Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust

Taumatawiwi Trust

Tavendale and Partners

Te Aitanga a Māhaki

Te Ākitai Waiohua Iwi Authority

Te Arawa Lakes Trust

Te Arawa River Iwi Trust

Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui Trust

Te Kaahui o Rauru (Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi)

Te Kāhui Maru Trust (Te Iwi o Maruwharanui) (Ngāti Maru - Taranaki)

Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust

Te Kapu o Waitaha

Te Kawerau Iwi Settlement Trust

Te Komiti nui o Ngāti Whakaue

Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust

Te Korowai o Waniuārua (represented by Uenuku Charitable Trust)

Te Kotahitanga o Ngāti Tūwharetoa

Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust (Taranaki)

Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust

Te Manawa o Ngāti Kuri Trust

Te Nehenehenui (prev MMTB)

Te Ohu Kaimoana

Te Pātaka a Ngāti Kōata

Te Patukirikiri

Te Puāwaitanga Ngāti Hinerangi Iwi Trust

Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Trust

Te Rāhui - Herenga Waka Whakatāne

Te Roroa Whatu Ora Trust, Te Roroa Manawhenua Trust

Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau Trust (Rangitāne o Wairau Claims Settlement)

Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupouri Trust

Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa Trust

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

Te Rūnanga O Ngāi Takoto

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Makaawhio

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Mutunga

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Pikiao Trust

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Tama Trust (Ngāti Tama ki Taranaki)

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whare

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua

Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa

Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou

Te Tāhuhu o Tawakeheimoa Trust

Te Tāwharau o Ngāti Pūkenga Trust

Te Tawharau o Te Whakatohea

Te Tawharau o Te Whakatōhea (Whakatōhea Pre-Settlement Claims Trust)

Te Tōtarahoe o Paerangi (Ngāti Rangi)

Te Tumu

Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust

Te Whakakitenga o Waikato (Waikato-Tainui)

Te Whānau a Apanui

Te Whānau a Kai

Terra Firma Mining Ltd

TGH

The Eden Park Trust

The Nakhle Group

The Wellington Company

TIGA Minerals and Metals Ltd

Toa Rangatira Trust , Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangātira Inc (Ngāti Toa)

Transpower

Trans-Tasman Resources

Tūhoe Te Uru Taumatua (Ngāi Tūhoe)

Tūpuna Taonga o Tāmaki Makaurau Trust (Tāmaki Maunga)

Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board

Wakefield Village Developments

Westland District Council

Whakatāne District Council

Whanganui Land Settlement Negotiation Trust

Windermere Holdings Limited

Winton

WMS Group