Forest & Bird vows to oppose destructive fast-track projects after today’s parliamentary vote on the controversial bill

Forest & Bird is pledging to oppose environmentally damaging projects being put through the fast-track environmental override voted in Parliament this afternoon. Government MPs today cast their final vote in favor of the Fast-track Approval Bill, meaning it will now become law.

“The passage of this law is a dark day for Aotearoa New Zealand – it cuts environmental protections, silences local voices and is a mockery of good legislation,” said Richard Capie, Group Manager Conservation Advocacy and Policy. “New Zealanders care about nature, trust nature and are proud of nature, but this law puts mining, energy and irrigation projects ahead of the environmental bottom lines we all depend on as a country.

“This is some of the worst law-making Forest & Bird has seen in our 100-year history. MPs must now commit to reviewing and, if necessary, canceling permits granted during this swift war on nature and scrapping the law as soon as possible,” says Mr. Cap.

“Any environmentally damaging projects authorized by this Act will be vigorously opposed by Forest & Bird.”

Major flaws in the process of getting this bill passed have included:

• Failure to keep the public and MPs informed by meeting the government’s legal requirements under the Official Information Act. Skov & Fugl just today received information about the bill that was sought months ago.
• Failure to comply with the Secretary’s advice and the Assistant Speaker’s decision to exclude the list of 149 projects from the bill because of the private benefit given to those applications
• The panel considering projects has not been able to look at the environmental risk assessments provided by the applicants
• Failure to provide the public and MPs with information on projects’ environmental impacts until after MPs had voted on the list of projects
• Failure to provide Parliament’s Environment Committee with a list of projects or information on likely environmental impacts

“This bill has been in the unenviable position of being criticized by almost every government watchdog. The Ombudsman, the Auditor-General, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Legislative Design and Advisory Committee and even the Chief Archivist have either criticized the legislation or the way the government has gone about it create it on, says Richard Capie.

“The government already has a fast-track process that was passed into law in 2020. Since then, 101 projects have been approved, ten declined and five are underway. Four have been withdrawn. The only reason for this new law is to allow projects that are too harmful to the environment to be approved otherwise.”