Reports
13 February 2026
On 13 December 2025, during the joint empanelment hearing, the panel requested clarification on resource consent and concession conditions, new proposed conditions, and recreation report effects scale.
Applicant response
The response was provided on 17 February 2026.
Memorandum 12 response to panel request for clarification (PDF, 417 KB)
Memorandum 12 Appendix B Alternative Tramping Route (PDF, 8.2 MB)
Memorandum 12 Appendix E Schedule 4 Granite Creek RevC (PDF, 8.7 MB)
27 January 2026
On 15 December 2025 the Panel issued Minute 5, appointing three technical advisors to review and provide advice on the project.
Minute 5 of the expert panel (PDF, 92 KB)
Final reports from the appointed experts were received by the Panel on 27 January 2026.
Paul Morgan – hydraulic engineering and fish passage (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Jon Tunnicliffe – fluvial geomorphology matters (PDF, 641 KB)
Paul Wilson – recreation matters (PDF, 311 KB)
10 December 2025
The Fast-track team received the s51 report from the Department of Conservation.
- Waitaha Hydro section 51 covering report (PDF, 392 KB)
- Appendix C Waitaha Hydro s51(2)(a) concessions report (PDF, 1 MB)
- Appendix C1 Waitaha Hydro Scheme DOC Landscape Peer Review (PDF, 1 MB)
- Appendix C2 Waitaha Hydro Technical Report Recreation (PDF, 760 KB)
- Appendix C3 Waitaha Draft concession conditions lease licence (short-term) 27Nov25 with DOC commentary (PDF, 551 KB)
- Appendix C4 Waitaha Draft concession conditions lease licence (long term) 27Nov25 with DOC commentary (PDF, 501 KB)
- Appendix C5 Waitaha Draft concession conditions easements 27Nov25 with DOC commentary (PDF, 292 KB)
- Appendix D Waitaha Hydro s51(2)(c) wildlife approvals report (PDF, 605 KB)
- Appendix E Waitaha Hydro s51(2)(e) report on complex freshwater fisheries (PDF, 244 KB)
- Appendix F Waitaha Hydro DOC Legal Memo to Panel (PDF, 227 KB)
2 October 2025
The panel convener directed relevant parties to provide a written response to the matters set out in Minute 2 of the panel convener.
Minute 2 of the panel convener (PDF, 278KB)
The following responses have been received.
Department of Conservation (PDF, 110KB)
West Coast Regional Counsel (PDF, 183KB)
Westland District Counsel (PDF, 221KB)
Westpower Limited (PDF, 207KB)
29 September 2025
The Ministry for the Environment provided the Fast-track team with section 18 report on Treaty settlements and other obligations as required under section 49 of the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024.
Treaty settlements and other obligations (section 18) report (PDF, 2.98MB)
Further information
4 February 2026
The panel requested further information from the applicant.
Request 5 for information from applicant (PDF, 100 KB)
Applicant response
The response was provided on 13 February 2026.
- Memorandum 11 Response to request for information 5 (PDF, 313 KB)
- Memorandum 11 Appendix A Q1 Response Mr Bentley (PDF, 278 KB)
- Memorandum 11 Appendix B Updated Table of Compensation Payments (PDF, 119 KB)
- Memorandum 11 Appendix C Short term concession conditions (PDF, 7 MB)
- Memorandum 11 Appendix D Long term concession conditions (PDF, 5 MB)
- Memorandum 11 Appendix E Concession conditions easements (PDF, 2 MB)
- Memorandum 11 Appendix F Wildlife Approval conditions (PDF, 493 KB)
23 January 2026
The panel requested further information from Westland District Council and West Coast Regional Council. The responses were provided on 9 February 2026.
Westland District Council
Request 4 for information from Westland District Council (PDF, 90 KB)
Memorandum responding to request for information (PDF, 154 KB)
West Coast Regional Council
Request 4 for information from West Coast Regional Council (PDF, 77 KB)
Memorandum responding to request for information (PDF, 128 KB)
22 December 2025
The panel requested further information from the applicant.
Request 3 for further information from applicant (PDF, 75 KB)
Applicant response
The applicant provided their response to request for further information on 21 January 2026.
Memorandum responding to request for information (PDF, 417 KB)
12 December 2025
The panel requested further information from the applicant. The information is to be provided by 16 January 2026.
Request 2 for further information from applicant (PDF, 315KB)
The applicant provided their response to request for further information on 16 January 2026.
19 November 2025
The panel requested further information from the applicant. The information is to be provided by 10 December 2025.
Request 1 for further information from applicant (PDF, 116KB)
The applicant provided their response to request for further information on 10 December.
- Memorandum responding to request for Information (PDF, 444 KB)
- Attachment 1 Waitaha Flow Record (PDF, 26 KB)
- Attachment 2 statement James Bentley (PDF, 293 KB)
- Attachment 2A to statement of James Bentley (PDF, 9 MB)
- Attachment 3 statement Rob Greenaway (PDF, 123 KB)
- Attachment 4 statement Mike Copeland (PDF, 86 KB)
- Attachment 5 statement Mason Jackson (PDF, 1 MB)