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Financial contribution for Treaty partner consultation in concessions processes (PDF, 197K)

Summary

DOC engages with Treaty partners to ensure informed decision-making on concessions, including to satisfy section 4 of the Conservation Act. Currently, Treaty partner engagement in concession applications is not covered by the concessions cost recovery regime.

This stage 1 CRIS was limited to analysing the proposal to provide a financial contribution to Treaty partners for concession consultation, and to fund it by a charge on concession applications. A charge on concession applicants was determined to be appropriate as they are the primary recipients of the benefits of obtaining a concession. This approach would also be consistent with concessions processing and management fees.

Cabinet agreed to a different option to what was recommended in the CRIS. Cabinet agreed to enable regulations allowing a contribution to be made to any third party providing written comment on a concession application (excluding comments provided as part of the public notification process). These contributions will be funded through a charge on concession applications or applicants.

A stage 2 CRIS will support development of the regulations.