Fast-track Approvals Bill
This Bill proposes to establish a permanent fast track approvals regime for a range of infrastructure, housing and development projects.
This Bill proposes to establish a permanent fast track approvals regime for a range of infrastructure, housing and development projects.
Fast-track Approvals Bill [New Zealand Legislation]
The Fast-track Approvals Bill is before the Environment Select Committee who are reviewing the Bill. The Committee will present its report on the Bill to Parliament in October 2024.
The Bill will have its final readings in November and could become law later this year.
The bill proposes to establishing a permanent fast-track approvals regime for projects of national and regional significance.
The regime’s approval process involves several joint Ministers.
These are the Ministers for:
The joint Ministers will determine if projects will be referred to an Expert Panel.
When making referral decisions, the joint Ministers must consider if the project is consistent with the purpose of the Bill – that projects would have significant regional or national benefits – and they meet the eligibility criteria [New Zealand legislation].
The Bill describes the groups and authorities Ministers must consider comment and information from during the process. These groups include:
Section 13 of the Bill describes these requirements in relation to Treaty Settlements [New Zealand legislation].
The Bill describes the Expert Panel member’s required expertise and knowledge, and how they will apply conditions to manage a project’s adverse effects.
Fast-track Approvals Bill 31-1 (2024), Government Bill Schedule 3 Expert panel [New Zealand Legislation].
The proposed system will be a ‘one-stop-shop’ for resource consents, notices of requirement, and certificates of compliance under the Resource Management Act (1991) and approvals required under the:
The Bill has an overarching clause requiring everyone working under the bill to act manner that is consistent with existing Treaty of Waitangi settlements and other arrangements.
During decision-making joint Ministers must consider;
Treaty settlements and recognised customary rights [New Zealand Legislation].
The Bill has criteria the Ministers ‘must’ and ‘may’ consider when determining if a project is eligible for the proposed fast-track process.
Eligibility criteria [New Zealand Legislation].
It has detailed proposals on ineligible activities, including those that would occur on land returned under a Treaty settlement, or on identified Māori land, without written agreement from the landowner.
Ineligible projects [New Zealand Legislation].
The list of ineligible projects includes activities:
For projects in the open ocean, activities prohibited under international law, decommissioning activities, and until permitting legislation is put in place – offshore wind.
This Bill was presented by the Minister Responsible for Resource Management Reform.
The Government has released high-level information on 149 projects it has decided to list in the Fast-track Approvals Bill.
This will enable project applicants to apply directly to the Environmental Protection Authority to have their projects considered by an Expert Panel once the Bill becomes law.
Read the list of projects [Beehive website]
On 11 October, the Goverment proactively released the Fast-track projects Advisory Group report to Ministers.
The independent Advisory Group’s report made recommendations on 342 projects applications Ministers could consider for inclusion in the Fast-track Approvals Bill’s Schedule.
The report was provided Ministers on 2 August.
Read the Fast-track projects Advisory Group report to Ministers [PDF, 3.9 MB]
The Environment Committee released its report on the Fast-track Approvals Bill to the House of Representatives on 19 October 2024.
The report makes recommendations on the Bill based on analysis of almost 27,000 submissions received by the Environment Committee between March and April 2024.
The Committee heard 794 oral submissions on the Bill in May and June.
Read the Environment Committee’s report on the Bill [New Zealand Parliament website]
Read the Ministry for the EnvironmenDepartmental report [New Zealand Parliament website]