Hearing date set for Rena resource consent

Bay of Plenty Regional Council has set the date for the hearing of the application for consent to leave part of the MV Rena on Astrolabe Reef to begin in Tauranga on 23 June, 2015.

The hearing is expected to run for about three weeks.

A venue for the Hearing is yet to be decided, Chairman Gordon Whiting said in a statement today.

The timeline for the process is:

• 7 April: Survey, video imaging data, ecological characterisation report, most recent sampling results and copper recovery report sent to Regional Council and submitters.
• 7 - 30 April: Parties' experts meet to discuss the issues in a facilitated session.
• 4 May: Applicant provides evidence from its technical experts
• 21 May: Regional Council and submitter experts file technical experts' briefs of evidence.
• 8 June: Applicant's rebuttal evidence provided.
• 23 June: Hearing begins.

The Hearing Commissioners' panel held a pre-Hearing conference last week to determine an appropriate timeline and procedure, and heard applications on the timing from five parties.

Mr Whiting said the decision on the timeline enabled the parties to progress the Hearing in a "logical and timeous manner which enables all parties to be involved and to present their cases to the Hearing Panel".

Factors to be considered at the Hearing include Maori culture, salvage, contaminants and ecology, planning, natural character and landscape, dive safety and navigation and social and recreation.

The full Memorandum, all information on the process, submissions and all material for the Hearing can be found on www.renaresourceconsent.org.nz.