RMA reform minister Chris Bishop releases list of organisations approached about applying for fast-tracked consents

RMA reform minister Chris Bishop bowed to public pressure to release a list of organisations he had approached about applying to have consents fast-tracked under the new regime.

The decision came after weeks of scrutiny over just who had been asked to consider applying to have consents fast-tracked, with environmental groups in particular concerned the Government is not adequately factoring in their concerns.

The list includes the iwi, and other entities from the Māori economy, developers, the seafood industry, primary industries, local councils, even the trust that administers Eden Park.

Bishop said he had released the list after his office had received numerous OIA requests for its contents. He said that the fact a company was on the list did not necessarily mean it would have projects fast-tracked, but only that it had been approached to consider putting in an application.

The groups can submit a proposal they think should be fast-tracked to the Government’s Independent Advisory Group. That group will then decide on a list of projects it thinks are suitable to be included in the Fast Track process and refer that list to a group of three infrastructure ministers: Bishop, Shane Jones, and Simeon Brown.

Those three will make the final call on what projects will be included. The list of projects will then be added to the bill. Projects will be included in either Schedule 2A or 2B of the bill.

Projects listed in Schedule 2A will be automatically referred into the fast-track process laid out in the bill. The listing of a project in Schedule 2B will mean it is required to be taken into account by ministers if and when a project comes before them for referral into fast-track.

Submissions on the bill itself close at midnight tonight. Organisations have until next month to submit applications.

Forest and Bird said Bishop had been forced to release the list after it laid a complaint with the Ombudsman.

“There’s nothing proactive about this. It’s disgraceful that Forest & Bird had to go to the Ombudsman to get this Government to release the list of who it has invited to fast-track the destruction of our environment,” Richard Capie, Forest and Bird’s group manager conservation and advocacy, said.

“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.

“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?” he said.

Bishop said Forest and Bird’s allegation the Ombudsman had ordered the release of the list was “false”. He said the organisation had asked for the release of a list of projects that ministers had thought about putting in the bill. However, ministers decided to scrap this model, and move to asking individual firms to submit proposals to the Expert Advisory Group.

He said the original 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.

“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,” he said.

Forest and Bird released a timeline suggesting the Ombudsman had hurried Bishop into releasing the information.

He said that on April 17, it had been notified by the Ombudsman that he had made a provisional determination and had sent it to Bishop for a response, noting the urgency requested by Forest and Bird.

On April 18, the Ombudsman notified Forest and Bird that the minister had decided to proactively release the information.

There are several firms on the list with which Jones has a history.

When asked about the potential to recuse himself from some decisions relating to those firms, Jones said those organisations “have every statutory right to put their best foot forward. To the extent that those projects see the light of day will depend on their robustness and it will also depend on the project and its outcomes are consistent with the purpose of the law”.

“I think it is fanciful and aggravating to suggest that just because I have had a long background with various industries that they should be ruled out or indeed I should be ruled out,” he said.

Jones was encouraged by the number of Māori entities on the list. He said NZ First had campaigned on New Zealand moving “beyond a [Treaty] breach culture” and the idea that “everything that Crown does that may offend some Māori is construed as a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi”.

He said the focus of Māori should “be squarely on recovering our economic fortunes and fixing our current account deficit”.

“The average Treaty activist has no conception of the dire nature of the current account situation but no nation can prosper unless it boosts its export receipts. Statutory constipation is very dire and this bill is a purgative,” Jones said.

Labour’s environment spokeswoman, Rachel Brooking, said it was “disappointing” it had taken the Government this long to release the list, particularly given submissions on the bill closed on Friday.

She said the fast-track process harked back to the time of Robert Muldoon. She called on the Government to allow the Select Committee to examine the projects that are to be included in the bill, and to allow the public to submit on the list too.

Organisations who received letters about submitting fast-track projects:

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