Submission on the Fast-track Approvals Bill

18 April 2024

The Bill would introduce a new ‘fast-track’ consenting process for infrastructure and development projects, bypassing environmental and community consultation requirements.

• Caritas strongly opposes the Fast-track Approvals Bill. The consultation process and decision-making criteria introduced in the Bill are deeply flawed.

• Decisions should be made involving those they will affect. The Fast-track Approvals Bill will exclude the voices of local communities, mana whenua and civil society. This will lead to poor decision-making and override democratic processes.

• We have a duty to sustain our natural environment for the benefit of future generations. The Bill places undue emphasis on nebulously defined ‘development’ to the exclusion of vital social goods including the natural environment and cultural rights.