8441 (2024). Hon Rachel Brooking to the Minister of Conservation

8441 (2024). Hon Rachel Brooking to the Minister of Conservation: Has the Department of Conservation provided feedback on any matters relating to the fast-track approvals bill, including the advisory panel recently appointed, and if so, by what date and title was this feedback provided?

Hon Tama Potaka: The Department of Conservation has been jointly developing the relevant parts of the Fast-track Approvals Bill with the Ministry for the Environment and other agencies. I’m aware that pre-introduction advice to Ministers from agencies is to be proactively released in due course by the Minister for Resource Management Reform. Regarding the advisory panel, the Department advises me they provided feedback on 8 March 2024 to the Ministry for the Environment, with nominations from the Department for the independent panel to assess applications for projects to be potentially listed. The title of this email was “RE: [IN-CONFIDENCE] Names for Listed Projects Panel by 9am Friday”. My office was advised of these suggested candidates via an email dated 8 March 2024 titled “In confidence: Potential candidates from DOC to go on Independent panel to assess projects for inclusion in Fast Track Bill”.