A second major Auckland quarry has been cleared to expand under the government’s Fast-track process, with an expert panel approving Kings Quarry’s plan to extract and process around 500,000 tonnes of aggregate a year for up to 100 years.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said the panel’s decision came 66 days after it was appointed. Kings Quarry lodged its application in May. The approval covers two future stages: up to 60 years for Stage 2 and up to 40 years for Stage 3.

Bishop said the expansion would keep aggregate supply closer to construction sites, describing it as a way to hold project costs at “reasonable levels” by avoiding out-of-region sourcing. He also pointed to “direct transport cost savings” and fewer heavy vehicle movements on major roads.

Resources Minister Shane Jones said the decision supports long-term employment and cuts consenting time compared with traditional Resource Management Act pathways. “It’s great to see Fast-track streamlining quarrying approvals so applicants don’t have to navigate multiple, costly layers of consents,” Jones said.

The release does not detail consent conditions, including truck movements, noise and dust controls, rehabilitation requirements, or the specific location of the expanded works within Auckland. Those conditions typically sit within the panel’s decision documents for the project.

Officials noted this is the second substantial quarry approval for Auckland under Fast-track. Recent approvals by expert panels also include work at Bledisloe North Wharf and the Drury Quarry expansion. The Government says 25 projects have now been referred into the Fast-track process.