7 February 2025
The Fast-track process is a cross-government ‘one-stop shop’ providing an alternative to current processes for resource consents and other approvals. This includes approvals required under legislation regulated by a number of government agencies.
Fast-track is a new process that operates separately from the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 or Resource Management (Natural and Built Environment and Spatial Planning Repeal and Interim Fast-track Consenting) Act 2023. You can find those processes and remaining projects on the Environmental Protection Authority’s website.
The Government selected 149 projects to be listed in the Act. These listed projects can now lodge a substantive application for consideration by an expert panel.
Other projects need to be referred by the Minister for Infrastructure via the Ministry for the Environment before making a substantive application.
Projects contact our Fast-track team when they’re ready to lodge their referral or substantive application. Fast-track advisors will then provide applicants with access to the Application Portal and guidance for completing their application.
Fast-track applicants pay a levy and application fee to help recover the cost of the application process. The levy helps cover Fast-track consenting overhead costs, including setup and operational expenses, as well as other costs not covered by the application fee The application fee is fixed based on the type of application. It is used to cover costs from the administering agencies, local councils, iwi, and expert panels.
Expert panels consider substantive applications. Expert panels are independent decision-making bodies set up for each Fast-track project. The Minister for Infrastructure appoints a panel convener, who is responsible for appointing panel members.
The Fast-track team at the Environmental Protection Authority provides administrative support to the panel. We are not involved in the decision-making process for approvals. Panels make the decisions to approve or refuse consents and whether to impose conditions.