Bishop: Releasing list of fast-track applicants ‘would lead to lobbying’

Minister for RMA Reform Chris Bishop has refused to release a list of fast-track applicants under the Official Information Act, but his reasoning has confused Suze Keith, the Tarras local who sought the list. 
Bishop refused to provide the list because he believed doing so would jeopardise proper procedures. He said the information would inspire “extensive lobbying, even campaigning, both for and against applications”. But the requested information was merely a list of applicants, not final decisions or related advice, something Keith does not believe is covered by the section of the Act that Bishop used to deny the request.