Correspondence

Minutes of the expert panel

28 July 2026 – Minute 22

The expert panel issued Minute 22 and supporting appendix requesting information from the applicant and the experts of all parties who attended the panel-facilitated conference.

Minute 22 of the expert panel (PDF, 153 KB)

Appendix 1 to Minute 22 (PDF, 113 KB)

14 July 2026 – Minute 21

The expert panel issued Minute 21 requesting information from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and the Māori Heritage Council.

Minute 21 of the expert panel (PDF, 180 KB)

9 July 2026 – Minute 20

The expert panel issued Minute 20 which responds to matters raised by the applicant in its memorandum dated 2 July 2026, in relation to witnesses at the expert conference.

Minute 20 of the expert panel (PDF, 196 KB)

7 July 2026 – Minute 19

The expert panel issued Minute 19 regarding the applicant's response to Minute 17 and hui proceedings at Aaruka Marae.

Minute 19 of the expert panel (PDF, 174 KB)

7 July 2026 – Minute 18

The expert panel issued Minute 18 regarding the form of the panel-facilitated conference.

Minute 18 of the expert panel (PDF, 202 KB)

29 June 2026 – Minute 17

The expert panel issued Minute 17 requesting information from the applicant.

Minute 17 of the expert panel (PDF, 239 KB)

Appendix 1 to Minute 17 (PDF, 515 KB)

17 June 2026 – Minute 16

The expert panel issued Minute 16 recording a hui held at Aaruka Marae.

Minute 16 of the expert panel (PDF, 218 KB)

10 June 2026 – Minute 15

The expert panel issued Minute 15 regarding panel-facilitated and expert conferencing.

Minute 15 of the expert panel (PDF, 157 KB)

3 June 2026 – Minute 14

The expert panel issued Minute 14 regarding the Hui at Aaruka Marae, briefly responding to the memorandum of counsel for the applicant dated 28 May 2026.

Minute 14 of the expert panel (PDF, 240 KB)

2 June 2026 – Minute 13

The expert panel issued Minute 13 regarding unsolicited and late comments received.

Minute 13 of the expert panel (PDF, 267 KB)

29 May 2026 – Minute 12

The expert panel issued Minute 12 regarding the hydrology/hydrogeology scope of work and peer review report.

Minute 12 of the expert panel (PDF, 243 KB)

25 May 2026 – Minute 11

The expert panel issued Minute 11 granting the applicant's request to suspend processing to the application. The suspension will start from 27 May 2026.

Minute 11 of the expert panel (PDF, 273 KB)

16 May 2026 – Minute 10

The expert panel issued Minute 10, which addresses the scope of work for the hydrology/hydrogeology peer review.

Minute 10 of the expert panel (PDF, 311 KB)

13 May 2026 – Minute 9

The expert panel issued Minute 9, which responds to matters raised by the applicant in its Memorandum on 8 May 2026 in relation to the panel’s proposal for a hui and to appoint a mātanga (cultural expert).

Minute 9 of the expert panel (PDF, 273 KB)

7 May 2026 – Minute 8

The expert panel issued Minute 8, addressing advanced notice of due date for a response to future request(s) for information from the panel and the panel-facilitated conference.

Minute 8 of the expert panel (PDF, 236 KB)

6 May 2026 – Minute 7

The expert panel issued Minute 7, addressing the scope of work for the mātanga (cultural adviser) and identifying the person that the panel proposes for this work.

Minute 7 of the expert panel (PDF, 255 KB)

30 April 2026 – Minute 6

The expert panel issued Minute 6 addressing the matter of comments on the applicant's proposed consent conditions and recording three additional parties to invite to comment.

Minute 6 of the expert panel (PDF, 249 KB)

24 April 2026 – Minute 5

The expert panel issued Minute 5 to record the site visit undertaken on Wednesday 22 April 2026.

Minute 5 of the expert panel (PDF, 251 KB)

21 April 2026 – Minute 4

The expert panel issued Minute 4 addressing the protocols for the site visit being undertaken on Wednesday 22 April 2026.

Minute 4 of the expert panel (PDF, 123 KB)

21 April 2026 – Minute 3

The expert panel issued Minute 3 recording their decision on which parties are to be invited to comment.

Minute 3 of the expert panel (PDF, 655 KB)

17 April 2026 – Minute 2

The expert panel issued Minute 2 following the project overview conference.

Minute 2 of the expert panel (PDF, 267 KB)

14 April 2026 – Minute 1

The expert panel issued Minute 1 regarding an initial project overview conference and further actions.

Minute 1 of the expert panel (PDF, 2.7 MB)

Correspondence to the expert panel

21 July 2026

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and the Māori Heritage Council provided a memorandum of counsel to the expert panel in response to the Minute 21 request for further information.

HNZPT memorandum dated 21 July 2026 (PDF, 425 KB)

The applicant provided a memorandum of counsel to the expert panel regarding questioning at the panel-facilitated conference.

Memorandum of counsel dated 21 July 2026 (PDF, 85 KB)

17 July 2026

The applicant provided a memorandum of counsel and supporting appendices to the expert panel in response to the Minute 17 request for further information.

On 23 July 2026 the applicant provided an updated version of Attachment 1 which supersedes the version provided on the 17 July 2026.

13 July 2026

The applicant provided a memorandum of counsel to the expert panel in response to Minute 18.

Memorandum of counsel dated 13 July 2026 (PDF, 162 KB)

9 July 2026

The Director-General of Conservation provided a memorandum of counsel to the expert panel regarding the panel-facilitated conference.

Memorandum of counsel dated 9 July 2026 (PDF, 178 KB)

3 July 2026

The applicant provided a memorandum of counsel to the expert panel in response to Minute 16 and Minute 17.

Memorandum of counsel dated 3 July 2026 (PDF, 161 KB)

2 July 2026

The applicant provided a memorandum of counsel to the expert panel.

Memorandum of counsel dated 2 July 2026 (PDF, 121 KB)

23 June 2026

The expert panel received correspondence from Ngaati Mahuta ki te Hauaarua in response to Minute 15.

Correspondence from Ngaati Mahuta ki te Hauaarua (PDF, 184 KB)

22 June 2026

The applicant provided a memorandum of counsel to the expert panel responding to Minute 15.

Memorandum of counsel dated 22 June 2026 (PDF, 63 KB)

The expert panel received correspondence from Waikato Regional Council in response to Minute 15.

Correspondence from Waikato Regional Council (PDF, 181 KB)

19 June 2026

The Director-General of Conservation provided a memorandum of counsel to the expert panel responding to Minute 15.

Memorandum of counsel for Department of Conservation (PDF, 72 KB)

18 June 2026

The expert panel received correspondence from Te Nehenehenui in response to Minute 15.

Correspondence from Te Nehenehenui (PDF, 134 KB)

5 June 2026

The applicant provided a memorandum of counsel to the expert panel regarding the proposed hui.

Memorandum of counsel dated 5 June 2026 (PDF, 66 KB)

28 May 2026

The applicant provided a memorandum of counsel to the expert panel regarding the suspension of the application and the proposed hui.

Memorandum of counsel dated 28 May 2026 (PDF, 194 KB)

22 May 2026

The panel received a request from the applicant for a suspension of processing to take effect from 27 May 2026, with processing to resume on 22 June 2026.

Memorandum of counsel requesting suspension of processing (PDF, 149 KB)

19 May 2026

The expert panel issued Minute 10 on 16 May 2026, inviting comments on the scope of work for the hydrology/hydrogeology peer review, to be received by Tuesday 19 May 2026.

8 May 2026

The expert panel issued Minute 7 on 6 May 2026, inviting comments on the proposed appointment and the scope of work set out above, to be received by close of business Friday 8 May 2026.