A Fast-track expert panel sits in place of a council or the Environment Court for projects in this regime. The panel is convened on a project-by-project basis by the EPA, drawing from a pre-vetted pool.
Panels typically include a chairperson, technical experts relevant to the project (planning, ecology, engineering), and an iwi-nominated member where Māori interests are engaged. The composition is published.
Decisions are issued in writing within a statutory timeframe after the substantive application is accepted as complete. Information requests, clarification rounds and conditions negotiation all happen inside this window.
The single biggest determinant of a smooth panel engagement is the quality of the substantive package as lodged. Late information requests are a symptom of an under-cooked application — not a feature of the system.