Dangerous Fast-Track changes made as nature is reaching breaking point - Greenpeace

Greenpeace says the passing of the Fast-Track Approvals Amendment Bill last night makes an already damaging law even more dangerous for Aotearoa's environment.

"The original Fast Track Approvals Act was already the most aggressive attack on environmental oversight and democratic participation in New Zealand's modern legislative history. The Government has now made that reckless and damaging Act even worse," says Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop.

"While the Government might have been forced to back down on some of their most egregious ideas, there is absolutely no cause for celebration in the passing of this reckless and damaging law."

"Ministers have a new lever to tilt the playing field towards their pet projects while the time available for independent scrutiny over large high risk projects has been cut to 90 working days. These changes will make it easier for mining and other environmentally damaging projects to get the green light."

The Amendment Act gives Ministers a new power to create Government Policy Statements about the benefits of fast track projects which expert panels must take into account. Panels now have a limit of the 90 working-days to decide on projects, regardless of their complexity or environmental risk, unless the applicant agrees to an extension.

The Government had previously proposed several other changes to the Fast Track Act including further restricting public participation, narrowing certain legal avenues for environmental organisations and hapū and allowing applicants to complain about panel members. It has walked away from those.

Around 95% of the over 2,500 submissions opposed the Amendment Bill. The public were given only 10 days to make their submissions. The original Fast Track Act also attracted widespread opposition with tens of thousands marching against it and 27,000 submissions made, with the majority opposed.

"This Bill follows the Government's announcement that it will rewrite the RMA to include 'regulatory relief' - an extraordinary proposal that would force the public to pay companies compensation if basic environmental protections, like better forestry-slash rules, impact their property value.

"Native wildlife is on the brink of extinction, rivers are choking with sediment and pollution, and oceans are under unprecedented stress. Instead of strengthening environmental protections, this Government is systematically dismantling them."

Greenpeace is vowing to continue fighting the Fast Track and standing alongside local communities against the war on nature.

"New Zealanders are showing over and over again that they do not want to see seabed mining off the Taranaki coast, they do not want to see coal mining on the Denniston Plateau and they do not want an Act that fast-tracks environmental destruction," says Toop.

"Any corporation seeking consent through this process should expect resistance. Communities across the country are already standing up to fast-track projects and regardless of what this Government does in Wellington we will keep defending nature across Aotearoa."