Fast-track Approvals Act and DOC

Fast-track Approvals Act

The Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 establishes a permanent Fast-track regime to make it easier and quicker to gain approvals for development and infrastructure projects that would deliver regional and national benefits.

The Fast-track process is a cross-government ‘one-stop shop’. It provides an alternative to current processes for resource consents and other approvals. This includes approvals required under administered by several government agencies including DOC.

Fast-track projects

The Minister for Infrastructure considers applications for projects to be “referred” to the Fast-track approvals process.

If the Minister decides to refer a project, the authorised person can then lodge a substantive application. Substantive applications will be considered by an expert panel.

Projects listed in the Fast-track Approvals Act can lodge a substantive application and don’t need to be referred.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has developed a dedicated website for Fast-track applications.

Fast-track website 

DOC's role in the Fast-track process

Some of the approvals and permissions we administer are included in the Fast-track process. We are responsible for providing reports, advice, and other information to support expert panels considering applications that could have impacts on conservation.

The following conservation approvals are included in the Fast-track regime: 

• concessions for land held under the Conservation Act, Reserves Act, Wildlife Act, and in special circumstances the National Parks Act
• authorities for actions that would otherwise be offences under the Wildlife Act
• specific permissions under the Freshwater Fisheries Regulations
• access arrangements under the Crown Minerals Act in respect of conservation land
  exchanges of land held under the Conservation Act and Reserves Act
• amendment or revocation of conservation covenants under the Conservation Act and the Reserves Act.

Guidance for applying for a wildlife approval (PDF, 217K)

More information about our role can be found on the New Zealand Legislation website.

Fast-track Approvals Act

Request a Fast-track pre-lodgement consultation

For projects that need conservation approvals, you must consult with us prior to lodging referral applications and substantive applications in the case of listed projects.

To request consultation, complete the request for pre-lodgement and new customer forms and email them to fasttrackapplicationenquiries@doc.govt.nz.

To apply for a land exchange under section 33 of the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024, complete the Land Exchange application form.

We will then contact you to discuss the next steps.

Forms

Request for pre-lodgement Fast-track application consultation form (PDF, 200K)
Request for pre-lodgement Fast-track application consultation form (DOCX, 120K)

New customer form – Fast-track (PDF, 232K)
New customer form – Fast-track (DOCX, 159K)

Land exchange application form (PDF, 310K)
Land exchange application form (DOCX, 130K)

Costs

We recover the actual and reasonable costs we incur as part of any work on Fast-track projects.

We charge an hourly rate of $204.00, excluding GST, for work done by DOC staff. Where we engage contractors, we will pass the cost of contactors onto applicants in full.

For pre-lodgement consultation, we recover costs directly. Once applications are lodged, cost recovery is handled by the EPA.

We do not charge for the first hour of work for pre-lodgement consultation. We’ll provide an estimate of our pre-lodgement costs once we have an understanding of your proposal. We'll require payment before we proceed. We'll recover additional pre-lodgement costs if it is necessary to do work that was not covered by the original estimate. You will be notified before the work begins.

Cost recovery is not dependent on the outcome of your application. We’ll recover all actual and reasonable costs associated with pre-lodgement, referrals, land exchanges, or substantive applications where those costs are recoverable under the FTAA, even if the application does not proceed, is withdrawn or declined.

Our team will be timely, efficient, consistent, and cost-effective during consultation. Refer to the DOC Fast-track cost recovery policy for more information. 

DOC Fast-track cost recovery policy (PDF, 371K)

More information

Ministry for the Environment Fast-track approvals process.

Fast-track website