Important update about Santana's Fast-Track application
6 February 2026
The Fast-Track convener assigned to Santana’s application made an important set of decisions - the timetable has been set, and the panel chosen. The fast-track panel of 7 experts officially begins work on 25 February 2026. Participants will be invited by 11 March to comment, and will have up to 20 working days to submit their comments and evidence. A decision on Santana’s application will be made due 29 October 2026.
We are relieved to see that the panel convenor has taken into account the many concerns raised by ORC, CODC, DOC, NZ heritage and Iwi. The 140 day panel review period and the further delayed start of the process is confirmation that Santana has failed in their effort to pressure the agencies and the convenor into a superficial and fast review, as they tried when they requested a 30 and later 60 day review.
Likewise, the panel of 7 experts we understand is the largest of any fast track projects to date, and testimony to the complexity, impacts and risks that this project brings. We are cautiously optimistic that this panel will be able to identify the gaps in the data, the overstated economic case, and the underestimation of environmental impacts.
We also remain hopeful that the panel will invite a wide range of affected parties, including ourselves. We have therefore taken steps to engage experts in areas where we believe we can add evidence to what we understand the agencies will be submitting.
