Recent changes to national legislation mean that for some large-scale projects, councils no longer make the final decisions – and the community’s ability to have a say can be limited depending on the process used.

The Government’s new Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 is designed to speed up consenting for projects that deliver regional and national benefits. These include infrastructure, housing and land development, renewable energy, aquaculture, mining, and farming. Instead of going through the usual Council-led process, selected projects are assessed by an expert panel managed by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

Mayor Adrienne said the shift in decision-making raises important questions for local communities.

“I have fielded a number of queries about the proposed development since the announcement in May that the Ashbourne project has been referred into the Fast-track approval process. Understandably, neighbouring property owners are questioning Council’s role in this process and are seeking guidance,” said Mayor Adrienne.

“Some council staff and I had been briefed about the project earlier, but the Fast-track process required confidentiality until the recent announcement, which limited what we could share at the time.”

While councils are still involved, their role is limited to providing technical input within short timeframes – sometimes as little as 20 working days – and then monitoring compliance once a project is approved. They have no power to decline, modify, or add conditions once a direction has been issued.

Council Chief Executive Manaia Te Wiata said that fast-track applications follow a different process than Council-run processes.

“Under the fast-track regime, councils are treated like submitters. We can give feedback, but we’re no longer the decision makers,” said Mr Te Wiata. “Even though our role is reduced, we will still try to get the best outcome for our communities.”

If a project is approved through the EPA panel and directed by the Ministers, Council is required to treat the approval in the same way as if it had approved the application itself - including monitoring compliance.

Unlike traditional plan changes or resource consents, public notification and community consultation under the fast-track process is entirely at the discretion of the expert panel.

These projects are selected by Government Ministers and assessed through a centralised process. A full list of projects referred or accepted for fast-tracking is available at www.fasttrack.govt.nz, which includes the Hinuera Solar Farm project and the Kaimai Wind Farm project located in Paeroa. The site provides up-to-date information on where projects are in the process and what decisions have been made.