The media were given a little list and hastened to pick out Fast Track prospects – but the Treaty aspect is fascinating, too
The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts.
News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop released the list of the organisations which had been advised on how to apply for consideration under the Fast-Track Approvals Bill.
The Bill will allow projects to bypass the standard resource consent process, effectively giving three ministers the final say on approving infrastructure projects, based on recommendations by an advisory group.
The list was released just hours before submissions on the Bill were set to close on Friday.
The Post reported it included companies involved in mining, property development, irrigation, solar, and aquaculture.
Among them was Stevenson Mining, which had its plans for a mine at Mt Te Kuha near Westport scuttled by the Environment Court last year. The company recently withdrew its appeal of that decision, seemingly in the hopes of submitting for fast-track approval.
Another was Chatham Rock Phosphate, which has long sought to mine rock phosphate from the seabed on the Chatham Rise, east of the South Island. The EPA rejected a previous consent application to do so. Other recipients included King Salmon, which had a proposal to farm fish in parts of the Marlborough Sounds thwarted by the Supreme Court in 2014, and National Steel, which has faced controversy for its Christchurch scrapyard near the Ōpāwaho/Heathcote River.
Letters also went to companies with significant projects on the books in the South Island.
They included Amuri Irrigation Company, which has sought to expand irrigation in the Hurunui District; Far North Solar Farm, which has proposed the country’s largest solar farm in the Mackenzie Basin; Southern Parallel Campus Limited, which has proposed an equestrian centre at Lake Hood near Ashburton; and Santana, which wants to mine for gold in Central Otago.
But Point of Order noticed something else:.
Here’s the list and our highlighting of more than half of the groups because they seem to have ethnicity in common and/or they might be apt to race off to the Waitangi Tribunal if they suspect they have been short-changed.
We might have missed some that should be included. We might have included some that don’t belong on a list of iwi-led organisations with an inclination to demand Treaty rights.
But here’s our categorising:
The list was released just hours before submissions on the Bill were set to close on Friday.
The Post reported it included companies involved in mining, property development, irrigation, solar, and aquaculture.
Among them was Stevenson Mining, which had its plans for a mine at Mt Te Kuha near Westport scuttled by the Environment Court last year. The company recently withdrew its appeal of that decision, seemingly in the hopes of submitting for fast-track approval.
Another was Chatham Rock Phosphate, which has long sought to mine rock phosphate from the seabed on the Chatham Rise, east of the South Island. The EPA rejected a previous consent application to do so. Other recipients included King Salmon, which had a proposal to farm fish in parts of the Marlborough Sounds thwarted by the Supreme Court in 2014, and National Steel, which has faced controversy for its Christchurch scrapyard near the Ōpāwaho/Heathcote River.
Letters also went to companies with significant projects on the books in the South Island.
They included Amuri Irrigation Company, which has sought to expand irrigation in the Hurunui District; Far North Solar Farm, which has proposed the country’s largest solar farm in the Mackenzie Basin; Southern Parallel Campus Limited, which has proposed an equestrian centre at Lake Hood near Ashburton; and Santana, which wants to mine for gold in Central Otago.
But Point of Order noticed something else:.
Here’s the list and our highlighting of more than half of the groups because they seem to have ethnicity in common and/or they might be apt to race off to the Waitangi Tribunal if they suspect they have been short-changed.
We might have missed some that should be included. We might have included some that don’t belong on a list of iwi-led organisations with an inclination to demand Treaty rights.
But here’s our categorising:
215 Riverbend Ltd
Ahuriri Hapū (Mana Ahuriri Trust)
Airedale Property
Amuri Irrigation Company
Apanui
Ᾱtiawa ki Whakarongotai
Aquaculture Direct
B&A Urban & Environmental
Baldwin
Bathurst Resources
Buller District Council
Carter Group
Chatham Rock Phosphate Ltd
Citadel
Clearwater Mussels
CNI Iwi Holdings Limited (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Manawa, Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty), Ngāti Whakaue, Raukawa, Ngāti Whare, Te Arawa)
Colliers Project Leaders
Cook | Costello
Electronet Group
Energy Resources
FNSF
Fonterra
Foresta NZ
Harmony Energy
Hei o Wharekaho Settlement Trust (Ngāti Hei)
Heretaunga Tamatea Settlement Trust (Tamatea Pōkai Whenua)
Hineuru Iwi Trust (Ngāti Hineuru)
HRM Associates
Impact Marine
Irrigation NZ
Kahukuraariki Trust (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa)
Kelp Blue
King Salmon
Kings Quarry
MacLab NZ LTD
Maraeroa A and B Trust, Maraeroa A and B Blocks Incorporation
Marlborough District Council
Marutūāhu Collective (Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngaati Whanaunga, Te Patukirikiri)
Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust
Meridian
Moriori Imi Settlement Trust
National Steel Ltd
Nelson City Council
Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Porou (inc 6 trusts)
Ngā Hapū ō Otaki (Raukawa and Muaūpoko)
Ngā Maunga Whakahii o Kaipara Development Trust, Ngā Maunga Whakahii o Kaipara Tari Pupuritaonga Trust
Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore Trust (Ngā Pōtiki)
Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui
Ngā Uri o Tamanui Trust (group 1)
Ngā Uri o Tamanui Trust (group 2)
Ngaati Whanaunga
Ngai Tahu Seafood
Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki Trust
Ngāi Te Rangi Settlement Trust
Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Post-Settlement Trust (Ngāti Apa)
Ngāti Hako
Ngāti Hauā Iwi Trust
Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa – Tāmaki Nui ā Rua Settlement Trust
Ngāti Mākino Iwi Authority
Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust
Ngāti Maru (Hauraki)
Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri
Ngāti Pāhauwera Development Trust, Ngāti Pāhauwera Tiaki Trust
Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust
Ngāti Porou ki Hauraki
Ngāti Ranginui Settlement Trust (Ngā Hapu o Ngāti Ranginui)
Ngāti Rangiteaorere Koromatua Council Trust
Ngāti Rārua Settlement Trust
Ngāti Rehua – Ngāti Wai ki Aotea Trust
Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana Negotiation Group
Ngāti Tama ki te Waipounamu Trust (Ngāti Tama)
Ngāti Tamaoho Settlement Trust
Ngāti Tamaterā
Ngāti Tara Tokanui Trust
Ngāti Tumutumu Trust (Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu)
Ngāti Tūrangitukua Charitable Trust
Ngāti Tūwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Settlement Trust
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust
Northport Port
Oceana Gold (New Zealand) Ltd
Omega Seafood
Opotiki Marina and Industrial Park Ltd
Pare Hauraki Collective (Ngāti Hako, Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Porou ki Hauraki, Ngāti Pukenga, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāti tara Tokanui, Ngaati Whanaunga, Te Patukirikiri)
Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board
Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust
Port of Tauranga Limited
Pouakani Trust
Pragma
Rangatira Developments Limited /Stevenson Mining
Rangitāne o Manawatū Settlement Trust
Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā Trust
Raukawa Settlement Trust
RCL Group
Rongowhakaata Settlement Trust
Sam’s Creek Gold/Siren
Sanford NZ
Santana
Scope Projects
Southern Parallel Campus Limited
Stantec
Stevenson Aggregates Ltd
Summerset Group
Taimoana Consulting
Talleys
Tāmanuhiri Tūtū Poroporo Trust (Ngāi Tāmanuhiri)
Tapuika Iwi Authority Trust
Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust
Taumatawiwi Trust
Tavendale and Partners
Te Aitanga a Māhaki
Te Ākitai Waiohua Iwi Authority
Te Arawa Lakes Trust
Te Arawa River Iwi Trust
Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui Trust
Te Kaahui o Rauru (Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi)
Te Kāhui Maru Trust (Te Iwi o Maruwharanui) (Ngāti Maru – Taranaki)
Te Kāhui o Taranaki Trust
Te Kapu o Waitaha
Te Kawerau Iwi Settlement Trust
Te Komiti nui o Ngāti Whakaue
Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust
Te Korowai o Waniuārua (represented by Uenuku Charitable Trust)
Te Kotahitanga o Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust (Taranaki)
Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust
Te Manawa o Ngāti Kuri Trust
Te Nehenehenui (prev MMTB)
Te Ohu Kaimoana
Te Pātaka a Ngāti Kōata
Te Patukirikiri
Te Puāwaitanga Ngāti Hinerangi Iwi Trust
Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Trust
Te Rāhui – Herenga Waka Whakatāne
Te Roroa Whatu Ora Trust, Te Roroa Manawhenua Trust
Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau Trust (Rangitāne o Wairau Claims Settlement)
Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupouri Trust
Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa Trust
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
Te Rūnanga O Ngāi Takoto
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa
Te Rūnanga o Ngā ti Kuia
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Makaawhio
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Mutunga
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Pikiao Trust
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Trust
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Tama Trust (Ngāti Tama ki Taranaki)
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whare
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua
Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa
Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou
Te Tāhuhu o Tawakeheimoa Trust
Te Tāwharau o Ngāti Pūkenga Trust
Te Tawharau o Te Whakatohea
Te Tawharau o Te Whakatōhea (Whakatōhea Pre-Settlement Claims Trust)
Te Tōtarahoe o Paerangi (Ngāti Rangi)
Te Tumu
Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust
Te Whakakitenga o Waikato (Waikato-Tainui)
Te Whānau a Apanui
Te Whānau a Kai
Terra Firma Mining Ltd
TGH
The Eden Park Trust
The Nakhle Group
The Wellington Company
TIGA Minerals and Metals Ltd
Toa Rangatira Trust , Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangātira Inc (Ngāti Toa)
Transpower
Trans-Tasman Resources
Tūhoe Te Uru Taumatua (Ngāi Tūhoe)
Tūpuna Taonga o Tāmaki Makaurau Trust (Tāmaki Maunga)
Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board
Wakefield Village Developments
Westland District Council
Whakatāne District Council
Whanganui Land Settlement Negotiation Trust
Windermere Holdings Limited
Winton
WMS Group
In an article republished on Point of Order earlier today, Bryce Edwards observes:
Interestingly, some iwi have expressed positivity about the fast track. Newsroom’s Jonathan Milne reports today that Ngāi Tahu hopes that its proposed massive Hananui salmon farm, to be positioned just off Rakiura/Stewart Island might now get the green light, after failing on environmental grounds previously – see: New fast-tracking regime is both conflicting and conflicted (paywalled)
The Otago Daily Times says Bishop has been consistently quick to point out that being a recipient of the letter did not necessarily mean an organisation would be putting forward a project.
He said it was a catch-all list, and included everyone he had corresponded with.
The ODT report then draws attention to the large numbers of Maori organisations on the list and ventures an explanation:
RNZ understands a number of iwi groups were included on the list because they were consulted on whether the bill threatened treaty rights, rather than because they had a project which might make the list.
Bishop has defended his inclusion of those groups on the list.
“If I hadn’t included them, I would probably be being accused of leaving people out,” he said. “There will be people on that list who oppose the fast-track process, there will be people or companies on the list who strongly support it, there will be people who don’t care either way, I suspect.”
Besides the substantial number of iwi groups, there are other curiosities.
The list includes “Winton”.
Is this the Southland town, and if so – why?
It includes “Baldwin”.
Not the actor, we imagine.
The Westland District Council is among local authorities on the list. Most authorities are excluded.
How come?
Oh – and the media talk of a list of 200.
What’s your count?
The ministerial press statement which fired up the media can be found here among other recent government statements:
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Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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