Recently closed consultations
Te ara autaki o Mt Messenger

Mt Messenger Bypass

Proposed State Highway 3 roading project between Uruti and Ahititi in North Taranaki

Status: Closed
Submissions closed: Tuesday 27 February 2018

In December 2017 Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) served a notice of requirement to alter the existing State Highway 3 designation in the New Plymouth District Plan.

Taranaki Regional Council and New Plymouth District Council also received resource consent applications for this project. The two consent authorities jointly heard the applications.

The notice of requirement and resource consents were public notified under the Resource Management Act 1991 on 27 January 2018.

Submissions closed on Tuesday 27 February 2018, with 1,177 submissions were received (1,154 in support, 20 in opposition and three neutral).

A hearing was held over nine days, commencing on 1 August and formally closing on 6 November 2018. Some submitters spoke in support of their written submissions and technical experts provided evidence. Documents associated with the hearing process are available below.

On 7 December 2018 Hearings Commissioner Stephen Daysh provided:

  • Decisions on resource consents (one from NPDC under the National Environmental Standard for soil contamination, and 58 consents from TRC).
  • A recommendation to Waka Kotahi on behalf of NPDC on the notice of requirement.

On 21 December 2018 Waka Kotahi provided their decision on the notice of requirement. Notice of this decision has been served on all submitters and affected landowners.

The decisions were appealed to the Environment Court and the appeal was heard by three Judges and two Commissioners in July 2019.

The Environment Court issued an interim decision ([2018] NZEnvC 203) in December 2019. 

This was appealed to the High Court, heard in August 2020 and dismissed ([2020] NZHC 3159).

The appellants filed an application for leave to the Supreme Court (SC 31/2021) which was dismissed. The appellants then filed for this decision to be recalled in the Supreme Court, which was also dismissed.

The Environment Court issued its second interim decision ([2021] NZEnvC 27) in March 2021 and its final decision - Part One & Part Two ([2021] NZEnvC 40), including conditions, in April 2021.

This was appealed to the High Court by the same appellants (Poutama Kaitiaki Charitable Trust and D & T Pascoe), heard in October 2021. You can read the decision here.

Mt Messenger bypass
Mt Messenger bypass
Mt Messenger bypass

Page last updated: 11:40PM Tue 20 December 2022

Contact us
06 759 6060 enquiries@npdc.govt.nz
Visit us

84 Liardet Street
New Plymouth

Search
Find by A–Z
Navigate
Useful links
Our NPDC family
New Zealand Government logo