Worth Reading, New Zealand Coalition Government pro Business Eligibility criteria
[edit] The Fast-track Approvals legislation would allow applicants to bypass the usual consenting process and gain an exemption or approval from various laws including the Resource Management Act 1991, Conservation Act 1987, Wildlife Act 1953, Reserves Act 1977, Freshwater Fisheries Regulations 1983, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014, Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012, land access under Crown Minerals Act 1991, Public Works Act 1981 and Fisheries Act 1996.[11]
The Bill also outlines the criteria for both "eligible" and "ineligible" projects. Eligible projects must have significant national or local benefits including delivering significant economic benefits, supporting industries, the development of natural resources and climate change mitigation, and addressing environmental issues.[13] Ineligible projects are activities that occur on land returned under a Treaty of Waitangi settlement, that has been contested by the land owner, Mori customary land and reservations, a protected customary rights area, aquaculture areas protected by iwi settlements and Section 12 of the Mori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004, and open ocean projects prohibited by international law.[13][11] Heritage New Zealand must also be consulted on archaeological decisions.[11]
The Bill outlines the purpose, functions and composition of "expert panels." Panels have a quorum of four members and must include one person nominated by relevant local authorities and one person nominated by relevant iwi (tribal) authorities.[13] An expert panel consists of a former High Court or Environment Court judge serving as a "convener", a lawyer or planner as a "chairperson," a local authority representative, an environment expert, an iwi/tribal authority representative in cases involving Treaty of Waitangi settlements, and someone with Mori development and te ao Mori (Mori worldview) expertise.[11]
The panel will consult the applicant and "directly-affected parties" such as relevant ministers, local councils, landowners, occupiers and requiring authorities on or adjacent to the land, and other parties considered relevant by the panel. While an earlier version of the legislation had given a six months consultation timeframe, this was extended following the select committee stage to allow more directly-affected parties to participate.[11]
Following the 2023 New Zealand general election, the National Party formed a coalition with the libertarian ACT and populist New Zealand First parties.[14] As part of National's coalition agreement with NZ First, the Sixth National Government agreed to establish a new fast-track consenting regime to "improve the speed and process for resource approvals for major infrastructure projects, unlocking opportunities in industries such as aquaculture and mining in our region."[3]
Members of the National-led coalition government have advocated the Fast-track approvals Bill due to their frustration with environmental protections for delaying or obstructing several major infrastructure projects. The Regional Development Minister Shane Jones said "Gone are the days of the multicoloured skink, the kiwi, many other species that have been weaponised to deny regional New Zealand communities their right to a livelihood, their entitlement to live peacefully with their environment but derive an income to meet the costs of raising families in regional New Zealand."[12] In response to concerns that mining in the Ruataniwha plains would affect the endangered Archey's frog, Jones had said "if there is a mining opportunity and it's impeded by a blind frog, goodbye, Freddy."[12]