Updating you all on where things are at
24 October 2026
Over the last few months we and other parties (such as the Environmental Defence Society, Fish & Game, the Department of Conservation and local and regional councils) have had our experts and legal representatives involved in hearings and expert conferencing. There have been multiple requests from the decision-making Panel for further information from Santana. With each new round of information we’ve had to analyse and respond. This has been a huge amount of work. And all to plug the gaps in Santana’s original application. The Panel is working their way through all the evidence and has indicated that there will be a draft decision at the end of November, with a final decision to be confirmed in January 2027. At that stage, the process will have taken 15 months - the longest of any fast track application to date. Remember that earlier this year, Santana demanded a decision in just 30 days! The panel chair, retired High Court Judge, Matthew Muir KC, has described it as the most complex application to be decided under the Fast Track legislation. Despite our well run legal campaign and the provision of robust independent expert information to assist the Panel (thanks to you all), the outcome of this application is far from clear. The Fast Track legislation is weighted heavily towards Santana getting an approval. But we still can’t call it. We will keep you updated and continue to be grateful for your support.
