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.

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