Fast-track passes and the pendulum swings

No frogs were harmed in the making of this bill ... so far. (Image: NZME)

Tue, 17 Dec 2024

The Fast-Track Approvals Bill has passed into law, with all agreeing that it is a significant shift in the consenting regime towards development, whether for better or worse.The Government argues it will spur new developments and economic growth by freeing what the responsible minister, Chris Bishop, called the “straitjacket of dumb planning laws that have a myopic focus on environmental effects above all else”.The opponents fear development trampling over all environmental protections and the wishes of communities wrapped up in &ld...

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