Commissioned by Te Waihanga, the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission and developed by Sapere Research Group, Infrastructure Consenting for Climate Targets looks at how much energy and transport infrastructure New Zealand needs to support transition to a low emissions economy. Researchers modelled how long it would take to process the necessary consents under the Resource Management Act and what it might cost if New Zealand failed to develop the necessary infrastructure.
The report finds that, from 2028, consent processing times would need to be 50 percent quicker than they are projected to be under the RMA.
Te Waihanga is working with the Ministry for the Environment on the new resource management system. It is leading work on a new national direction for infrastructure which includes guidance on regional spatial strategies and nationally consistent rules and standards for infrastructure. Te Waihanga commissioned Infrastructure Consenting for Climate Targets to help inform discussion about the new resource management system.
An earlier report, also developed by Sapere Research Group, looked at the costs of consenting infrastructure projects
The cost of consenting infrastructure projects in New Zealand
Ross Copland, Chief Executive at Te Waihanga spoke to Corina Comendant, Senior Managing Economist at Sapere about the findings of the report.