[2018] NZEnvC 023 Royal Forest Bird Protection Society of NZ Inc v Northland Regional Council [pdf, 4.2 MB]
...Court must hold a public hearing on the application. On hearing the application , it must either dismiss the application, or direct the Council to modify the Plan, delete a provision from the Plan or insert a provision in the Plan (s 76(8).) [5] Given the requirement to hold a public hearing, and the importance of this issue, the Court scrutinised the documentation produced carefully, and advised the parties that it wished to have the witnesses available for questions from the Court...