After receiving an extensive recommendation report from the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Environment Minister David Parker has referred the Project Kea proposal to the Environment Court.
On 31 August 2023, the Minister for the Environment ‘called in’, or issued a direction, to refer the application to the Environment Court. The direction was issued under section 142(2) of the Resource Management Act (RMA).
The Minister asked the EPA for advice on whether the application was of national significance and, if so, whether it should be referred to a Board of Inquiry or the Environment Court.
EPA's role in the processing of 'Project Kea".
The EPA will publicly notify SIRRL’s application so people can make submissions. Then, they will pass on the application and the submissions to the Environment Court, setting the timeframe for the next steps in the process. The EPA is not involved in the decision-making process.
The EPA states they are organising public notification of the direction and the applications under section 149C of the RMA.
They also state that they will provide further information about public notification and the submission process on their webpage when it becomes available.