What progress, if any, has he made on progressing the Government response to the Ministerial Inquiry into Land Use in Tairāwhiti/Gisborne and Wairoa, since November 2023?

Answer

There is ongoing work in several areas, however I can only speak to projects that the Ministry for the Environment is involved in, which includes: the review of national direction (National Policy Statement -Freshwater Management and National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry), supporting Gisborne District Council to build their capability, and supporting plan change workstreams relating to forestry, including through preparing advice for the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform on Gisborne District Council’s request for an exemption from the Plan Stop provisions.