Hon Amy Adams
Minister for the Environment

15 February 2013 Media Statement

Board Of Inquiry To Consider Christchurch Southern Motorway Proposal

Environment Minister Amy Adams has announced that an application for the second stage of the Christchurch Southern Motorway and an upgrade to a section of Main South Road will be decided by an independent Board of Inquiry.

The application by the New Zealand Transport Agency relates to the construction of a new four-lane state highway and an upgrade to a section of the existing Main South Road (SH1) to four lanes. The proposal is part of the Southern Corridor of the Christchurch Motorways Roads of National Significance.

In accepting the recommendation of the Environmental Protection Authority to refer the proposal to a Board of Inquiry, Ms Adams says the application is nationally significant because of the wide public interest in the project, the significant use of physical and natural resources, and because it affects more than one region or district.

“This process will enable affected people to have their say but will deliver a decision within nine months,” Ms Adams says.

The Board of Inquiry will be chaired by Retired High Court Judge Barry Paterson. The board members are Deputy Environment Commissioner Owen Borlase, and resource management consultants David McMahon and Raewyn Solomon.

ENDS

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Arguably Reassuring: Inspector-General Finds GCSB "Arguably" Legal

Of the 88 individuals:

• 15 cases involving 22 individuals did not have any information intercepted by GCSB.

• another four cases involving five individuals were the subjects of a New Zealand Security Intelligence Service warrant and the GCSB assisted in the execution of the warrants. The Inspector-General is of the view that there were arguably no breaches and the law is unclear.

• the Bureau only provided technical assistance which did not involve interception of communications, involving three of the individuals, so no breach occurred.

• the remaining cases involved the collection of metadata, and the Inspector-General formed the view that there had arguably been no breach, noting once again that the law is unclear.
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