February 2025

Tēnā koutou i tēnei ata

Welcome to the latest edition of He tuku kōrero nā Te Tupu Ngātahi (communications from the Supporting Growth Alliance).

A lot has happened already this year.

In early February, I had the honour of being appointed as an associate panel convener of the Fast-track Approvals regime. Environment Court Judge Jane Borthwick is the Panel Convener and Helen Atkins and I are Associate Panel Conveners. Our role will be to appoint the expert panels to consider the fast-track applications. You can read more about the process on the Government's website.

The Alliance's planning and legal teams have been working hard to resolve appeals and are making good progress. If everything goes to plan, we are aiming to have them all resolved by the end of the year with minimal Environment Court hearing time.

I have provided more information in the video update, below.

If you haven't received this email before, it's our semi-regular newsletter that aims to keep you up-to-date with the progress we are making throughout the final stage of the alliance. You've been included in the mailing list because you're one of our partners, have worked with us on Te Tupu Ngātahi or hold a key role in one of our home organisations. You are welcome to forward this to others in your organisation who may be interested and you can subscribe or unsubscribe, below.

Here's a quick snapshot of where our projects are at. For more detail, including project maps, please click through to our website.

Takaanini Level Crossings & South Frequent Transit Network:

The appeal period has just closed and the teams are working through the appeals.

North:

The appeal period has just closed and the teams are working through the appeals.

Pukekohe:

The appeal period is closed and informal meetings with appellants are underway.

Airport to Botany:

The appeal period is closed and informal meetings and mediation with appellants are underway.

North West:

The appeal period has closed and informal meetings and mediation with appellants are underway.

Warkworth:

The appeal period has closed and informal meetings and mediation with appellants are underway.

Our mission to share what we have learned continues, our work is featuring at two major conferences at the end of March.

• NZPI Conference in Waihōpai Invercargill – Kathleen Bunting (Beca), Patrick Buckley (AT) & Evan Keating (NZTA) are presenting on ‘Lessons learnt from Australasia’s Largest Planning Alliance”
• IAP2 NZ Symposium in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland – Julie Boucher (Just Add Lime) & Julia Siddall (AT) are on a panel looking at the ‘Lessons Learnt in Engagement’. We were invited to join the panel after winning the 2024 IAP2 Australasia Core Values Award for Planning

Our suite of 'lessons learnt' presentations and documents and largely complete and are now available for sharing with our owners, other alliances and the wider infrastructure sector. If you or your team would like a copy of them, please email us.

Mā te wā

Jennifer Caldwell

Alliance Programme Director | Kaihautū o te Patuinga ā-Hōtaka