Fast tracks all over nature
The government’s hasty plans to shove into law multiple and profound changes that will greatly weaken existing legal protection for New Zealand’s land, freshwater and oceanic biodiversity, as well as the climate, must be halted at once.
Hon Chris Bishop, Minister for Resource Management Reform, is introducing permanent fasttrack consenting legislation. Ministers will be able to assign infrastructure and development projects for fasttrack approval. These projects will go before an ‘‘expert panel’’ that will have little power or ability to either decline the project or properly prevent any specific project’s adverse effects on the environment.
This proposed fasttrack process is extremely broad, unfocused and lacks any safeguards for nature.
Of great worry is the government’s third phase of reform, which will remove the 1991 Resource
Management Act and replace it with new resource management laws based on the ‘‘enjoyment of property rights’’. This will immediately threaten all native plants and animals on private land.
In addition, ministers are actively planning legislation that will hasten the decline and extirpation of our precious native species, including birds, lizards and bats, pushing them much further towards extinction. Both the Natural and Built Environment Act and the Spatial Planning Act were repealed in December 2023 as part of the coalition government’s 100day action plan.
Bishop also plans to replace the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020. In the absence of real statutory protection, native species will certainly be impaired. Freshwater will be adversely affected throughout New Zealand, including in our rivers and lakes. Groundwater will be less safe to drink.
The planned funding cuts of at least 6.5% to the Department of Conservation will undoubtedly reduce its ability to provide help to threatened native species. Already, 80% of our native birds are declining or threatened with extinction. Announced funding cuts affecting the future of the todate very successful Predatorfree New Zealand programme will further endanger our beautiful, valuable, but vulnerable native plants and animals.
New Zealanders have a traditional love of wild nature, but the coalition government is actively planning its destruction. This is neither in New Zealand’s interests nor is it the ‘‘New Zealand way’’ of doing things.