The Fast-Track Approvals Bill

Submission to Chairperson of the Environment Committee

Written by:
Nikki Hurst,

The submission raises significant concerns about the proposed Bill, highlighting issues related to policy alignment, decision-making processes, environmental considerations, democratic integrity, social inequality, and long-term impacts on future generations. We question the Bill’s ability to uphold rigorous standards and democratic principles while ensuring the health and well-being of communities. These points are explored in detail within the full submission.

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Truck symbolising Fast track approvals bill racing towards a washout in the highway

Tirohanga Whānui | Overview

The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on The Fast-Track Approvals Bill. We are deeply concerned by this Bill, the impact it will have on fair process and on embedding short-termism.

  1. The Bill is significantly out-of-step with the Governments own advice on best-practice policy and policy development.
  2. The Bill reduces the rigour required and allows for bias in decision-making on major projects.
  3. The Bill fails to adequately account for climate change and the protective value of a healthy
    environment under climate change, leaving communities’ health and well-being more
    vulnerable.
  4. The Bill undermines democratic processes.
  5. The Bill is likely to worsen inequality by decision making that doesn’t take impacts on
    communities into account.
  6. The Bill is highly likely to have long-term impacts – impacting the lives of our children and
    grandchildren for short-term gain.
  7. The Bill threatens our style of democracy, by allowing the Executive Branch to circumvent
    the Parliamentary and Judicial Branches

Taunakitanga | Recommendations

We strongly recommend the Environment Select Committee does not recommend the Bill to the House and, in doing so, highlights its threats to New Zealanders’ health and well-being.

We recommend the Committee urge the Government to re-direct its work programme to develop “a long-term vision for a transition towards a low-carbon, greener economy,” and to “build on [our] well-developed knowledge and innovation system for exporting higher value export products and decouple growth from natural resource use” as recommended by the OECD.

Ingoa whakapā | Contact Name

Nikki Hurst

Associated Links

Submission information