Correspondence

Info: Fast-track team offline 25 December 2025 to 4 January 2026
The contact centre closes at midday on 24 December. The application portal and this website remain available throughout the break.

Minutes of the expert panel

23 December 2025 – Minute 34

The panel issued Minute 34 regarding further supplementary evidence on fate of tailings backfill and request for response.

Minute 34 of the panel (PDF, 173KB)

Memorandum of counsel for the applicant seeking leave to file additional evidence (PDF, 120KB)

Supplementary evidence of Shawn Thompson (PDF, 158KB)

22 December 2025 – Minute 33

The panel issued Minute 33 regarding acceptance of late response to Minute 32 by Te Kaahui o Rauru Trust.

Minute 33 of the panel (PDF, 145KB)

Memorandum of counsel for Te Kaahui o Rauru Trust (PDF, 260KB)

12 December – Minute 32

The panel issued Minute 32 requesting further information from Iwi and Hapū Participants.

Minute 32 of the panel (PDF, 152KB)

Attachment A (PDF, 1.4 MB)

9 December – Minute 31

The panel issued Minute 31 regarding the appointment of expert advisors.

Minute 31 of the panel (PDF, 129KB)

8 December 2025 – Minute 30

The panel issued Minute 30 requesting further information from the applicant.

Minute 30 of the panel (PDF, 169KB)

8 December 2025 – Minute 29

The panel issued Minute 29 responding to a submission of further evidence.

Minute 29 of the panel (PDF, 188KB)

2 December 2025 – Minute 28

The panel issued Minute 28 in response to additional information provided by parties.

Minute 28 of the panel (PDF, 177KB)

Supplementary evidence of Buddy Mikaere (PDF, 1.15MB)

Supplementary evidence of Darran Humpheson (PDF, 375KB)

Supplementary evidence of Shawn Thompson (PDF, 6.49MB)

Taranaki Regional Council (PDF, 177KB)

27 November 2025 – Minute 27

The panel issued Minute 27 in response to Dr Ganesh Nana's supplementary response to the economic conferencing.

Minute 27 of the panel (PDF 156KB)

Memorandum filing supplementary response of Dr Ganesh Nana (PDF, 155KB)

Notes from Dr Ganesh Nana (PDF, 143KB)

25 November 2025 – Minute 26

The panel issued Minute 26 regarding Treaty Principles, Existing Interests and Treaty Settlement Obligations.

Minute 26 of the panel (PDF, 207KB)

Joint Memorandum of Counsel (PDF, 574KB)

25 November 2025 – Minute 25

The panel issued Minute 25 regarding Treaty and Cultural expert conferencing and Joint Witness Statement.

Minute 25 of the panel (PDF, 224KB)

Memorandum of counsel for the applicant responding to Minute 25 (PDF, 192KB)

17 November 2025 – Minute 24

The panel issued Minute 24 regarding the acceptance of late submissions by Te Tōpuni Ngārahu Trust.

Minute 24 of the panel (PDF, 151KB)

13 November 2025 – Minute 23

The panel issued Minute 23 regarding the extensions provided to the requests for information outlined in Minutes 13 - 17.

Minute 23 of the panel (PDF, 152KB)

Memorandum from the Applicant re. Minute 13 (PDF, 161KB)

Letter from Brooks Seafood (PDF, 26KB)

11 November 2025 − Minute 22

The panel issued Minute 22 regarding the appointment of Dr Matt Pine as Technical Advisor on underwater noise.

Minute 22 of the panel (PDF,149KB)

Review of information on underwater generated noise from the Taranaki VTM Project (PDF, 487KB)

11 November 2025 − Minute 21

The panel issued Minute 21 regarding their response to a letter from Ngāti Haua and Ngāruahine on timeframes for information and expert caucusing.

Minute 21 of the panel (PDF,150KB)

10 November 2025 − Minute 20

The panel issued Minute 20 regarding a request for information, expert conferencing, and Joint Witness Statement: Economics.

Minute 20 of the panel (PDF, 98KB)

5 November 2025 − Minute 19

The panel issued Minute 19 regarding expert caucusing and joint witness statements.

Minute 19 of the panel (PDF, 314KB)

5 November 2025 − Minute 18

The panel issued Minute 18 accepting the late report filed by Ngāti Ruanui Trust.

Minute 18 of the panel (PDF, 162KB)

Memorandum of counsel from Ngāti Ruanui Trust (PDF, 171KB)

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui “HCMM-1” Ngati Ruanui Customary Interests and Marine and Coastal Usage (PDF, 2.6MB)

4 November 2025 − Minute 17

The panel issued Minute 17 requesting further information regarding fish.

Minute 17 of the panel (PDF, 178KB)

4 November 2025 − Minute 16

The panel issued Minute 16 requesting further information regarding birds.

Minute 16 of the panel (PDF, 186KB)

4 November 2025 − Minute 15

The panel issued Minute 15 requesting further information regarding marine mammals.

Minute 15 of the panel (PDF, 189KB)

4 November 2025 − Minute 14

The panel issued Minute 14 requesting further information regarding benthic habitats and species.

Minute 14 of the panel (PDF, 191KB)

4 November 2025 − Minute 13

The panel issued Minute 13 requesting further information from the applicant.

Minute 13 of the panel (PDF, 133KB)

4 November 2025 − Minute 12

The panel issued Minute 12 requesting further information from iwi and hāpu.

Minute 12 of the panel (PDF, 278KB)

4 November 2025 − Minute 11

The panel issued Minute 11 giving notice of a hearing.

Minute 11 of the panel (PDF, 223KB)

10 October 2025 − Minute 10

The panel issued Minute 10 requesting further information from the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries.

Minute 10 of the panel (PDF, 116KB)

10 October 2025 − Minute 9

The panel issued Minute 9 requesting information from iwi and hapū.

Minute 9 of the panel (PDF, 208KB)

10 October 2025 − Minute 8

The panel issued Minute 8 regarding a planned conference in Hawera.

Minute 8 of the panel (PDF, 201KB)

7 October 2025 − Minute 7

The panel issued Minute 7 regarding the acceptance of a late comment from the Minister for Māori Development.

Minute 7 of the panel (PDF, 151KB)

26 September 2025 − Minute 6

The panel issued Minute 6 regarding the appointment of the legal advisor and the applicant's response to the section 51 report.

Minute 6 of the panel (PDF, 156KB)

24 September 2025 − Minute 5

The expert panel issued Minute 5 recording their decision regarding the request of additional parties to receive invitations to comment.

Minute 5 of the panel (PDF, 145KB)

Request to be invited from Wanganui Manawatu Sea Fishing Club (PDF, 345KB)

19 September 2025 − Minute 4

The expert panel issued Minute 4 regarding:

the appointment of special advisors
additional parties that have requested to be invited to comment
the applicant's provision of additional application documents.

Minute 4 of the panel (PDF, 212KB)

Request to be invited from Marine Services Wanganui Ltd (PDF, 150KB)

Request to be invited from Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society (PDF, 315KB)

8 September 2025 − Minute 3

The expert panel issued Minute 3 recording their decision on which parties are to be invited to comment under section 53 of the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024.

Minute 3 of the panel (PDF, 198KB)

Request to be invited from Taranaki Whanganui Conservation Board (PDF, 247KB)

Request to be invited from KASM and Greenpeace Aotearoa Inc (PDF, 765KB)

Request to be invited from Taranaki Offshore Partnership (PDF, 232KB)

Request to be invited from Parkwind NV (PDF, 169KB)

Request to be invited from Sealord (PDF, 430KB)

1 September 2025 − Minute 2

The panel issued Minute 2 regarding further information about the project overview conference.

Minute 2 of the panel (PDF, 188KB)

25 August 2025 − Minute 1

The panel issued Minute 1 regarding the project overview conference.

Minute 1 of the panel (PDF, 33KB)

Correspondence to expert panel

6 November 2025

Environmental Defense Society

The Environmental Defense Society provided a memorandum of counsel responding to Minute 11.

Memorandum of counsel (PDF, 154KB)

Applicant

The applicant provided a memorandum of counsel responding to the panel's request for further information detailed in Minute 13.

Memorandum of counsel (PDF, 159KB)

Minutes of the panel convener

15 August 2025 − Minute correcting error in decision timeframe

The panel convener issued a Minute regarding an error in the Minute issued on 12 August relating to the timeframe for the panel decision.

Minute of the panel convener correcting the error in decision timeframe (PDF, 147KB)

12 August 2025 − Minute regarding panel appointments

The panel convener issued a Minute regarding the appointment of the expert panel and the timeframe for panel decision.

Minute of the panel convener regarding the panel appointment (PDF, 195KB)

6 August 2025 − Minute regarding correction to EPA memo

The panel convener issued a minute regarding a correction made to the memo the Environmental Protection Authority provided for the convener conference held on 7 July 2025.

Minute of the panel convener regarding correction to EPA memo (PDF, 120KB)

Letter from the EPA regarding the correction (PDF, 137KB)

Corrected EPA memo (PDF, 136KB)

17 July 2025 − Minute regarding post-conference directions

The panel convener issued a minute regarding post-conference directions for the applicant.

Minute of the panel convener regarding post-conference directions (PDF, 165KB)

26 June 2025 − Minute regarding convener conference

The panel convener issued a minute regarding a conference to be held on 7 July 2025.

Minute of the panel convener regarding the convener conference (PDF, 218KB)

10 June 2025 − Minute requesting s51 report

The panel convener issued a minute requesting the Fast-track team obtain advice and a report from the Environmental Protection Authority pursuant to section 51 of the Fast-Track Approvals Act 2024.

Minute 1 of the panel convener (PDF, 98KB)