Thursday, 13 November 2025
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the consultation and appeal limitations introduced by the Fast-Track Approvals Act 2024
- Examine how legal mechanisms like judicial review may respond to restricted public input in consent processes
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD hour
* This interactive online recording includes questions and quizzes requiring critical thinking about the topics, so you have no annual limits to the number of points/hours you can claim with this format of learning. Please verify with your CPD rules
Environmental & Infrastructure Approval Processes: Fast Track Approvals Act 2024 and the Impact on Consultation and Procedural Fairness
The Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 (FTAA) has built on the trend towards faster consenting processes that limit public participation and appeal rights.
- Examine the public participation and appeal in the FTAA.
- How panels have used their discretion to enable participation.
- Issues for appeals and the role of judicial review.
- Is the trend here to stay?
Presented by Hamish Harwood, Senior Associate, Simpson Grierson
Presenters
Hamish Harwood, Senior Associate, Simpson GriersonHamish is a specialist resource management and local government lawyer. He advises and represents clients on district and regional plan reviews and plan changes, and consent and designation applications for a range of projects, including marine consent applications for activities taking place in the EEZ. His practice also includes a range of other strategic local government issues including judicial review, building law, local government liability, natural hazards and climate change, valuation compensation and rating disputes, roads, and customary rights applications. Hamish is a member of the Resource Management Law Association of New Zealand. His work Highlights include; plan reviews and plan changes, advising and representing Christchurch City Council, Kapiti Coast District Council, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Porirua City Council and New Plymouth District Council at all stages of their plan review and plan change processes, marine consent, advising and representing OMV, Beach Energy Limited, BW Offshore Limited, Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited and others in relation to marine consent and discharge consent applications for various energy (both renewable and non-renewable) projects in offshore Taranaki, the Great South Basin, the Canterbury Basin and the Chatham Rise.
