149RBoard to produce report

1. As soon as practicable after the board of inquiry has completed its inquiry on a matter, it must—

2. make its decision; and
3. produce a written report.

4. The board must perform the duties in subsection (1) no later than 9 months after—

5. the day on which the EPA gave public notice under section 149C of the Minister's direction under section 142(2) or 147(1)(a) in relation to the matter, unless paragraph (b) or (c) applies; or
6. the day on which the EPA gave public notice under section 149O of the proposed plan or change to a plan or regional policy statement, if that section applies to the matter before the board; or
7. the day on which the EPA gave limited notification under section 149ZC(4), if the EPA gave that notice for the matter before the board.

8. For the purposes of subsection (2), the 9-month period excludes—

9. the period starting on 20 December in any year and ending with 10 January in the following year:
10. any time while an inquiry is suspended under section 149ZG(3) (as calculated from the date of notification of suspension under section 149ZG(5) to the date of notification of resumption under section 149ZG(5)).

11. Repealed

12. The report—

13. must state the board's decision; and
14. must give reasons for the decision; and
15. must include a statement of the principal issues that were in contention; and
16. must include the main findings on the principal issues that were in contention; and
17. may recommend that changes be made to a plan, regional policy statement, national policy statement, or New Zealand coastal policy statement or to a national planning standard (being changes in addition to any changes that may result from the implementation of the decision); and
18. may recommend that a national policy statement, a New Zealand coastal policy statement, a national planning standard, or a national environmental standard be issued or revoked.

19. The EPA must provide a copy of the report to—

20. the applicant; and
21. the local authority; and
22. any other relevant local authorities; and
23. the persons who made submissions on the matter; and
24. the Minister of Conservation, if the report relates to the functions of the Minister of Conservation under this Act; and
25. the Minister; and
26. if the matter to which the report relates is a notice of requirement, the landowners and occupiers directly affected by the decision.

27. The EPA must publish the board's report and give public notice of where and how copies of it can be obtained.

28. Nothing in section 37(1) applies to the time periods or the requirements in this section that apply to a board.

29. The EPA's functions under this section are in addition to the EPA's functions under section 114(7)(a).

30. For the purposes of subsection (4)(d), the EPA is to be taken to have provided a copy of the final report to a submitter if—

31. the EPA has published the final report on an Internet site maintained by the EPA to which the public has free access; and
32. the submitter has specified an electronic address as an address for service (and has not requested that the final report be provided in hard copy form); and
33. the EPA has sent the submitter at that electronic address a link to the final report published on the Internet site referred to in paragraph (a).