Stop the Fast Track Bill – Speak up!

Thank you to all you wonderful people who have written to the Parliamentary Environment Committee opposing the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The community of opposition is phenomenal, with over 28,000 submissions made through Forest & Bird and Greenpeace platforms alone. A dedicated coalition called Community Against Fast Track (CAFT) has now been formed, Climate Justice Taranaki being one of the members. Other groups are welcome to join the coalition. For more information, visit the website: https://www.stopthefasttrackbill.com/ 

To recap, the purpose of the Bill is “to provide a fast-track decision-making process that facilitates the delivery of infrastructure and development projects with significant regional or national benefits.” As such, it places economic development above environmental protection and sustainability. It overrides a suite of existing legislation that provides safeguards for the environment and communities. Projects that are eligible for fast-track approvals don’t just include infrastructure projects, but petroleum and mineral mining as well. The decision-making power on what projects get fast-track approvals lies on three Ministers (Infrastructure/RMA Reform, Energy/Transport, Resources/Fisheries).

The NZ Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment “considers the proposed legislation poses significant environmental risks because, amongst other things, it deprioritises the environment and the role of the Minister for the Environment, applies to too broad a range of activities (including ones that are currently prohibited or have previously been declined) and limits opportunities for environmental scrutiny.”   The Office of the Auditor General questions the transparency and accountability arrangements in the Bill. Most of the submissions are now on the Parliamentary website.

Indeed, the Bill has been described as anti-environment, anti-democracy and unconstitutional by environmental, law-based and community organisations. It is so bad that even the mainstream media are giving extensive coverage on critics’ views. Here are just a few of them:

• Does Mining belong…?
• The problems with the fast track approvals bill
• Fast track regime would lead to protests…
• …None from first day of hearings support bill…

Upcoming event

Oral submission training online, 7 May

A few submitters have been given the opportunity to speak to the Parliamentary Committee about the Fast Track Approvals Bill this week. If you indicated that you’d like to be heard in your written submission, you’ll be contacted soon with suggested time slots to speak to the Committee online. If it is your first time to make an oral submission and you’re not too sure how to make it impactful, you may want to attend an online training on Tue 7 May 7pm, kindly organised by 350. Register here.

Climate Action Now – 11 May, Te Whare Hononga, Ngāmotu

Climate Action Now will be a free, all day event with speakers and workshops focusing on some of the issues and solutions identified in Toitū Taranaki 2030. Our keynote speakers will be Prof Bronwyn Hayward, University of Canterbury, and iwi leader Mike Smith of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kahu. There will be three interactive workshops on:

1. energy and transport,
2. agriculture, food resilience and reforestation,
3. political and social transformation, education and mobilisation. 

Details including program and registration are here. If you can help with childcare or food preparation, please get in touch.

Reflections

Climate Strike, 5 April

We were stoked by the Climate Strike at Puke Ariki Landing, attended by over 150 people from the rohe, including many students. We even got coverage in Newshub with students being interviewed and our new chant being mentioned.

New Plymouth District Long Term Plan 2024-34 – Hearings

Thank you also to those who have submitted to the New Plymouth District Council on their Long Term Plan. Public hearings have begun. CJT has spoken, as had representatives of North Taranaki Cycling Advocates and I Love Public Transport, amongst others. If you live in Ngāmotu / New Plymouth, consider showing up at the Council Chamber on Mon 6^th May or Tue 7^th when hearings resume. You can find the agenda and view recorded videos of submitters’ presentations and the Q&A sessions after each.