Comparison
When the new Fast-track pathway beats the traditional RMA route — and when it does not.
Fast-track is faster than notified RMA consenting — usually 9 to 12 months versus 18 to 36 months. That speed is real, but it comes with three trade-offs worth understanding before lodging.
EPA cost recovery on a Fast-track application typically exceeds council fees on an equivalent RMA consent by a meaningful multiple. For small projects this can flip the math.
The Fast-track regime narrows who can submit and on what grounds. For some projects this is the point. For others it raises post-decision political risk that needs to be managed alongside the consent.
Cultural and conservation issues do not become easier under Fast-track. They become more concentrated. The substantive package has to be tighter, the cultural impact assessment more robust, the iwi engagement earlier.
For projects of genuine regional or national significance with clean cultural and environmental groundwork — Fast-track is the right pathway. For everything else, it can be expensive theatre.
We will tell you honestly. Even if Fast-track is not the right pathway for you.