The judge may impose restrictions on the inspection of a document and, under the Resource Management Act 1991, the court may order that evidence be heard in private, or prohibit or restrict the publication of evidence.
Subject to any restrictions, once a written statement or affidavit is presented to the court at a public hearing, the media may approach the court to request copies.
A fee for the actual and reasonable cost of producing copies of documents may be charged.
The Environment Court also offers a mediation service. Mediations by their very nature are conducted in private and all information exchanged is confidential. Aspects of agreements reached within the jurisdiction of the case are often enshrined in the consent orders signed by a judge, which enter the public record of the Court.
Please direct your enquiries about matters of public record to the registrar of the Environment Court at EnvironmentCourt@justice.govt.nz.
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