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201: Application for water conservation order
or “ Anyone can ask the government to protect a special water area by explaining why it's important and how they want to protect it. ”
You could also call this:

“The Minister must decide quickly whether to appoint a special group to review a water conservation request or reject it, and then tell the person who asked.”

When you send an application for a water conservation order, the Minister must do a few things. First, they will look at your application and any extra information they asked for. They might also ask some questions about it.

After this, the Minister needs to make a decision as quickly as they can. They have two choices:

They can choose a special group of people (called a special tribunal) to listen to your application and write a report about it.

Or, they can say no to your application. If they do this, they have to tell you why.

The Minister must let you know what they decide.

Before the Minister picks the special tribunal, they might need to talk to two other important people. These are the Minister for Māori Development and the Minister of Conservation. They talk about who should be in the special tribunal.

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Next up: 203: Special tribunal

or “A group of people chosen to make decisions about protecting important water sources”
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Part 9 Water conservation orders

202Minister's obligations upon receipt of application

  1. After receipt of an application (and any further information required by the Minister) under section 201 and after making such inquiry in respect of the application as the Minister considers necessary, the Minister shall as soon as practicable either—

  2. appoint a special tribunal to hear and report on the application; or
    1. reject the application—
        1. and notify the applicant of his or her decision, and where the application is rejected, of his or her reasons for the rejection.

      1. Before appointing a special tribunal under subsection (1)(a), the Minister shall, where appropriate, consult with the Minister for Māori Development and the Minister of Conservation regarding the membership of the tribunal.

      Notes
      • Section 202(2): amended, on , by section 63 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 30).