Fast-track Approvals Act Information

What is the Fast Track Approvals Act?

The Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 is a new law that creates an accelerated consent pathway for major development projects in Aotearoa. It allows certain projects to bypass key steps of the standard Resource Management Act (RMA) process, including:

• No public notification

• No right to lodge formal submissions

• No automatic hearings

• Limited appeal rights (only on points of law)

Instead, selected projects go straight to an Expert Consenting Panel, which decides whether they proceed. The panel must give greater weight to a project’s “benefits” (like economic development or energy supply) than to its environmental or recreational impacts.

This process is much faster and harder to challenge than the standard RMA route. Once a project is listed or referred, legal experts say it is very difficult to stop, especially for individuals or community groups.

Why this matters for Whitewater Recreation

Whitewater NZ exists to protect and restore Aotearoa’s whitewater rivers, and to defend your right to enjoy them. The Fast-track Act creates a major risk that projects affecting rivers, such as dams, diversions, and flow alterations, could be approved without meaningful public input or recreational protections.

As a registered non-profit and recognised stakeholder, Whitewater NZ is more likely to be considered a directly affected party when whitewater resources are at risk. This means we can be invited to comment on projects – but only if the expert panel chooses to engage with us. In some cases, securing a seat at the table may require strategic negotiation to ensure paddlers’ interests are protected. Your membership strengthens our ability to be heard. It gives us the standing, credibility, and resources to advocate for recreational rivers when it matters most.

Read below to get a better understanding of what is a stake, and hopefully it’s enough to convince you to pledge a small amount to WWNZ so we can represent your interests by protecting and restoring Aotearoa’s whitewater rivers and enhancing your opportunities to enjoy them safely!

Potential Impacts on Whitewater Resources

Projects that could affect river access, water flows, or river environments may now have a faster path to approval with potentially less rigorous environmental assessment:

• Projects approved through this process may be subject to lower environmental tests than standard RMA consenting.
• The legislation does include some protections: For projects involving scenic reserves or conservation land, written permission must be obtained from the managing entity. Without this permission, the project becomes an “ineligible activity” and should be rejected.

Of particular concern are previously declined projects that may now reapply through the new referrals process.

Key Points for the Whitewater Community

Implementation Timeline:

• The Fast-track Approvals Act became law after its third reading on December 17, 2024.
• The Fast Track applications portal opened on February 7, 2025, allowing both previously listed and unlisted projects to apply for consideration.

There Are Two Types of Fast-Track Projects:

1. Listed Projects: These are 149 projects already included in Schedule 2 of the Act (the ones written into the bill that passed):

• 4 of these projects are directly relevant to the whitewater community:

• • Wairoa River (Tauranga):
    • A resource consent renewal for the Kaimai Hydro-Electric Power Scheme applied for by Manawa Energy could result in an altered number of recreational releases or flows for the Wairoa River.
    • We’re currently working with Kaimai Canoe Club and Manawa Energy to ensure that there will be no change in the release schedule/quality for this renewed resource consent.

• • Rangitaiki River (Wheao scheme):
    • A resource consent renewal for the Wheao Hydro-Electric Power Scheme applied for by Manawa Energy could result in changes to the minimum required flow, which if lowered could impact the quality of kayaking/rafting, particularly in the popular Jeffs Joy section.

• • Tekapo and Pukaki:
    • A resource consent renewal for the Tekapo Power Scheme applied for by Genesis Energy could result in an altered number of recreational releases.
    • We’re currently working with Tekapo Whitewater Trust and Genesis Energy to ensure that there will be no change in the release schedule/quality for this renewed resource consent.

• • Waitaha:
    • Westpower has pushed forward with a project for a dam that was rejected in 2019 under the Conservation Act due to significant impacts on the natural character of the area, the intrinsic value of the area and people’s enjoyment of it. This dam would dry the Morgan Gorge section of the Waitaha, a highly treasured resource and legendary section in the whitewater community.

2. Unlisted Projects: 211 projects that applied but were previously declined, but can now apply through the “referrals application” process as of February 7, 2025:

• We know 2 of these projects are directly relevant to the whitewater community:

• • Kaituna (Lower Gorges):
    • T8CL is pushing for a dam below the trout pools that will drown Awesome Gorge (including the upper training grounds), and dry Gnarly Gorge, before returning a highly variable flow back to Smokey Gorge. These sections have huge recreational value for both the local and international paddling community, and their loss to this micro hydro project would be a devastating loss of the kayaking community.

• • Hurinui:
    • The Lake Sumner Water Sourced project will effectively aim to control flows on the Hurinui River which may negatively impact recreational paddling on the river (alongside ecological damage). The Hurinui is a valued resourcing for teaching – a similar scheme has been proposed before under the name of the Hurinui Water Sourced Project.

New Projects: There could also be new projects we’ve yet to hear about – even if none of these projects currently concern you, your home river could be affected next! This is why becoming a Whitewater NZ member is more important than ever.

What’s the Approval Process?

• Projects submit to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)

• If eligible, they are sent to the Minister for Infrastructure

• If referred or listed, a 3–4 person Expert Panel is formed

• The panel invites only select parties to provide comments (e.g. iwi, affected stakeholders)

• The panel makes a decision, typically within 30 working days of receiving comments

• No hearing is required, and no public appeals are allowed, except on narrow legal grounds

What Whitewater NZ is Doing

Whitewater NZ is actively monitoring Fast Track applications that could impact whitewater resources. We’re working with Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC) and other outdoor recreation organizations, such as Forest and Bird, to protect our recreation on rivers where our interests align.

We’ve been working behind the scenes to try and ensure that the standards for releases and flow stay the same or improve for rivers affected by power scheme re-consenting. We commend Manawa Energy and Genesis Energy for their willingness to have an open dialogue with Whitewater NZ and other relevant parties to consider the conditions of the consent renewals!

An update on the current status of the Waitaha will be provided shortly.

More information about the unlisted project that will affect the Kaituna (Lower Gorges) can be found on our social media or in this post on our website. We’re fighting hard to keep this off the approved Fast-Track referral list.

We encourage all paddlers to be aware of potential Fast Track applications in their areas and to contact us immediately if they learn of projects that could affect whitewater resources.