Costs agencies can recover
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) recovers costs directly related to the application from the application fee. Costs may be based on time spent, external advice procured, or other costs incurred in performing your functions in relation to an application. Costs must be actual and reasonable. The EPA will review costs and may query them before passing them on to applicants.
Your charge-out rates as a Fast-track agency will be published on the Fast-track website unless otherwise agreed.
Reviewing applications
The Fast-track team will notify you when there is a new application to review as an administering agency. This notification will include the project number, the application phase (activity) you are reviewing, and the relevant application details.
Agencies review applications through the application portal. The Fast-track team will give your agency access to the application portal the first time you have an application to review.
Fast-track application portal user guide – agencies and authorities (PDF, 423 KB)
To request access to the Application Portal for a new user for your agency, or to remove a user, please get in touch with our contact centre. They will work with our Fast-track operations team to arrange this for you.
Invoices and payments
Registering as a supplier
You must register as a supplier in order to recover costs.
New supplier registration form (DOCX, 220 KB)
Please send your completed form to procurement@epa.govt.nz
Sending invoices to the Fast-track team
To recover costs, invoice the Fast-track team in a timely and regular manner (at least once a month).
Use the project number as the reference. There will not be a separate purchase order number for each application or activity.
Alongside your invoice, include a spreadsheet using our template, detailing the expenses and the application phase they relate to. The template is available from the Fast-track team.
Video: Introduction to the Fast-track costing spreadsheet (Vimeo)
Guide: How to use the costing spreadsheet (PDF, 171KB)
This file helps with reporting and dispute management. The transactions will be provided at a summarised level to applicants on a monthly invoice.
Please send your invoice and the corresponding spreadsheet to costrecovery@fasttrack.govt.nz
Paying invoices
The Fast-track team will make payments to you on a quarterly basis. Each payment will include costs that were invoiced 90 days before and are not in dispute.
We will let you know if an applicant disputes a transaction or their full invoice, and payment for these charges will be put on hold. We may require further information from you to assess the dispute.
Closing the application
We will advise you when a decision has been reached on an application or it has been withdrawn. You will have two months to submit any final costs. Late submissions could limit our ability to recover any further costs on behalf of your agency.
Post-decision support costs are not recoverable from the application fee – you will need to invoice the applicant directly for these.
Managing disputes
If an applicant wishes to dispute any costs, the EPA will manage the dispute. Agencies whose costs are disputed will need to contribute to this process.
This applies only to costs incurred during the referral and substantive application stages, not pre-application or post-decision, which you will manage directly with the applicant.
If a dispute cannot be satisfactorily resolved, the matter may be escalated through a legal process. Any costs associated with resolving a dispute cannot be recovered from the application fee.
Māori consultation groups
A definition of Māori consultation groups eligible to claim contributions is provided in the Fast-track Approvals (Cost Recovery) Regulations.
After an application has been accepted for consideration through the Fast-track process, you may be invited to comment on the application. Fast-track pays a prescribed contribution to your costs as a Māori consultation group that has commented on an application in response to an invitation to comment. This contribution comes from the initial application fee paid by the applicant when they lodge their application.
The Fast-track Approvals (Cost Recovery) Regulations 2025 set out contribution fees.
The level of contribution we pay you will depend on the type of application, and how many different types of approval, you’re being asked to (and do) provide comments on. Approval types are listed in section 42(4) of the Act.
Applying for a contribution fee payment
To apply for payment of your contribution, send an email to finance@epa.govt.nz with:
your completed and signed contribution fee application form
your invoice, made out to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
a copy of your invitation to comment.
Contribution fee application form (PDF, 108KB)
If applicable, you must also complete and provide a New Supplier Registration Form (see Registering as a supplier above).
Invoices are paid monthly.