Fast-track approvals

Waikato Regional Council's role 

Our role in fast-track applications is to:

• provide advice before the application is submitted
• provide information and comments on the application to decision-makers.
• monitor approved resource consents to ensure compliance with consent conditions.

Waikato Regional Council is not a decision-maker for applications that use the fast-track approvals process. Instead, decisions are made by the Minister for Infrastructure (for referral applications), or an expert consenting panel appointed by the EPA (for substantive applications). While the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) provides a comprehensive framework for managing resources sustainably, the FTAA introduces an overriding purpose focused on enabling these specific projects, with decision-making criteria that can prevail over RMA considerations, such as those in national policy direction. 

Pre-application consultation with Waikato Regional Council

Before lodging a referral application, the FTAA requires that applicants notify a range of parties, including Waikato Regional Council for applications in our region. Parties then have 20 working days to respond.

While not mandated, we encourage applicants to initiate discussions with us early in the process. This helps with early identification of matters that will need to be addressed at the substantive stage.

To enable meaningful advice, Waikato Regional Council requests that pre-application notification provides Waikato Regional Council with as much information about the proposal as possible. This would include the following:

• a description of the proposal, plans or other drawings describing the proposal,
• the resource consents sought for the activity; 
• an assessment of applicable policies and/or rules in the Waikato Regional Policy Statement, Waikato Regional Plan and Waikato Coastal Plan (including any Plan Changes) and any National Environmental Standards,
• an assessment of environmental effects,
• supporting technical assessments,
• information about how the proposal aligns with any other relevant statutory plans, policies or strategies prepared by Waikato Regional Council, and
• information on consultation undertaken with other parties (including mana whenua and other local authorities).

The applicant is then required to include a summary of how Waikato Regional Council’s feedback has informed the referral application.

If you would like to arrange pre-application consultation with Waikato Regional Council, please get in touch at WRCfasttrackapps@waikatoregion.govt.nz

Section 30 requirements for substantive applications

Section 30 of the FTAA requires applicants to notify Waikato Regional Council before they lodge a substantive application. When notification from an applicant is received under section 30, Waikato Regional Council is required to advise the applicant of whether there is any existing resource consent to which section 124C(1)(c) or 165ZI of the RMA applies in relation to the substantive application.

If you would like to send a section 30 notification to Waikato Regional Council, please send a request to WRCfasttrackapps@waikatoregion.govt.nz

Cost recovery 

Waikato Regional Council will recover from applicants all actual and reasonable costs incurred during pre-application consultation and carrying out obligations under section 30 as enabled by the FTAA. The rates charged will be in accordance with Waikato Regional Council’ s fees and charges as set out in the Annual Plan.