National’s fast track bill enables the most radical and unbalanced consenting regime in living memory.

As the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Rt Hon Simon Upton said in his submission to select committee ‘the Bill lacks many of the environmental safeguards its predecessor legislation contained. Even the much-maligned National Development Act 1979 had more checks and balances.’

“Despite masquerading under the same name as Labour’s fast-track consenting legislation, it is fundamentally different. Its objective is to override environmental protections,” Labour’s acting environment spokesperson David Parker said.

“Labour’s fast-track process worked. Under it almost 100 projects were approved without undue delay or excessive cost. Many significant housing subdivisions, wind farms, solar farms, retirement villages and infrastructure projects were approved. This process worked and did not override the Resource Management, Conservation, Wildlife and Heritage Protection Acts.

“In contrast this bill excludes any reference to the environment or sustainable management in its purpose, and now enables environmental protections in the Resource Management, Conservation, Wildlife and Heritage Protection Acts to be overridden.

“The Bill is obviously not aimed at approving the sorts of projects that were already being approved. It is aimed at pushing through environmentally contentious projects, some of which have been previously declined or are midway through other processes.

“Examples include mining 50 million tonnes of iron sands off Taranaki for export (not New Zealand processing), coal mines, and a contentious proposal to burn large quantities of plastic.

“Climate polluting emissions will increase.

“The list of projects to be considered – which was released after submissions closed – includes many projects where locals adversely affected should have the opportunity to make submissions. They won’t be able to.

“It was reported this morning that even a National Party MP disagrees with a project on that list and would lie on train tracks to stop it, making a complete mockery of their consultation process.

“The Parliamentary Commissioner’s serious concerns have been ignored. So have the submitters who overwhelmingly opposed this overreach.

“There are many other problems with this legislation described in Labour’s part of the Committee report back, which has been tabled in the House this afternoon.

“The tens of thousands of New Zealanders who marched in the streets to protest against this radical override of New Zealand’s environmental laws have been ignored. The legislation is more extreme than it was when it went to the select committee,” David Parker said.

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