Contact the Fast-track team

Only people and organisations specified in the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 (Act) can comment on an application. The Act does not allow panels to give public or limited notification for comments.  

The Fast-track team, on behalf of the expert panel, will invite relevant people or organisations to comment on an application at the appropriate time.  

Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 No 56, Public Act Opportunity for comment on substantive application – New Zealand Legislation  

Projects can be listed or referred to the Fast-track process. Projects listed in the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 (Act) don’t need referral and can go straight to the substantive application. Other projects need referral before making a substantive application.  

Projects listed in the Act:  

Listed projects – Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 –New Zealand Legislation website 

Referral applications  

The Minister for Infrastructure decides whether to accept projects for referral to the Fast-track.  There are specified criteria for assessing a referral application. For example, the Minister may consider whether a project will increase the supply of housing, address housing needs, or contribute to a well-functioning urban environment. 

Referral application to use the Fast-track

Substantive applications  

Expert panels make the decisions to approve or refuse consents and whether to impose conditions.  

The Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 specifies other requirements for making a decision, including the opportunity for panels to transfer certain decisions to the appropriate Minister, or for the appropriate Minister to ‘call in’ the decision taking into account the panel’s advice. 

The Fast-track team provides administrative support to the panel. We are not involved in the decision-making process for approvals.  

Substantive application for resource consents and other approvals 

Please contact the Fast-track team for access to the application portal. Before contacting the team, please make sure you’ve read about the process and confident you’re ready to apply.

Process overview

The Minister for Infrastructure can determine that a project is a priority project, either on their own initiative or if the applicant requests. This request must be made:

• after paying any outstanding fees or costs

• before making the substantive application.

Applying for priority for a Fast-track substantive application

The Ministry for the Environment handles these requests.

We publish application documents as soon as possible after checks are made. These checks include any redactions requested by the applicant or required by us under the Official Information Act and Privacy Act.

Substantive application for resource consents and other approvals

Here are some links to useful guides for application portal users:  

• Fast-track application portal user guide – creating a new referral application (PDF, 417 KB) 

• Fast-track application portal user guide – creating a new substantive application (PDF, 461 KB) 

• Fast-track application portal user guide – viewing applications and requests and creating feedback (PDF, 258 KB) 

Here are some links to helpful short videos that step through the process: 

• Video: Fast-track Application Portal – Registration and Login 

• Video: Fast-track Application Portal – Responding to Requests 

If you still need assistance, please call our contact centre team on 0800 FASTRK (0800 327875) or email contact@fasttrack.govt.nz