A 12-day extension has been approved to the 30 April deadline for the Ministerial Inquiry into woody debris (including forestry slash) and sediment in Tairāwhiti/Gisborne and Wairoa.

The three-member panel for the Ministerial Inquiry, chaired by Hekia Parata, sought the extension from the Inquiry’s two lead Ministers, David Parker and Peeni Henare, due to the number and substance of the submissions received.

“The panel has advised that they received 313 submissions, many of them fulsome and comprehensive,” David Parker said.

“The panel was pleased by this level of engagement and has asked for the delivery date for their report to be extended until 12 May 2023, to allow them enough time to give the submissions the consideration and weight they deserve,” he said.

“We support the panel’s request. A short extension will ensure the submissions are fully considered, helping ensure a more comprehensive and fulsome report.”

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