Government releases list of organisations shoulder-tapped for fast-track consents

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.

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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 3 May.

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 will 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 on Friday night.

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