Just 40% of people support the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill, while 60% don’t, didn’t know, or didn’t want to say – according to a new 1News Verian poll.
The Fast-track Approvals Bill is aimed at introducing a “fast-track, one-stop-shop consenting regime”, to “enable faster approval of infrastructure and other projects that have significant regional or national benefits”, according to its legislative statement.
To access the fast-track approvals process, project owners would need to apply to three joint Ministers — Ministers for Infrastructure (Chris Bishop), Transport (Simeon Brown), and Regional Development (Shane Jones).
A project would then be referred to an expert panel for assessment and recommendation to the ministers, who would ultimately determine whether the project proceeded.
It’s been criticised as anti-democratic as it greatly reduces public say on fast-track projects. Some have also criticised the lack of precise definition of what constituted projects of “significant regional or national benefits”.
Submissions on the bill closed on April 19 and the Environment Committee will now prepare a report with recommendations to Parliament on it, before it faces a second reading.
In the 1News Verian poll, run between April 20 and 24, 1000 eligible voters were asked: “The Fast-track Approval Bill will allow some ministers to approve infrastructure projects without going through the current approval process, for example, getting resource consent.
“Do you support or oppose the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill?”
Of those who responded, 40% said they supported it, 41% said they opposed it and 19% said they did not know or preferred not to say.
It means support and opposition to the bill is split. Those more likely to support the bill included those who supported any three of the coalition parties – National, New Zealand First and ACT. Other groups more likely to support it were people of Asian descent, those with a household income of more than $150,000 per annum and men.
Those more likely to oppose it were Green or Labour Party supporters, people who lived in Northland or Wellington, Māori, university graduates and women.
Shane Jones the ‘Fast Track Knight’ but Bishop open to ‘sensible changes’
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones said the poll’s result was a “photo finish”.
“I back myself to convince more Kiwis that we can turbo-charge our future than the small group of grumpy green leaders.”
He said the “loud voices” of opposition to the bill were like calabashes “because they’re empty in the middle”.
“It’s just white noise. I really do believe the majority of Kiwis know that we’ve got to move to can-do economics from cancel economics.”
He said he was the “apostle for that job”.
Jones said the bill would accelerate development.
“It’s not going to trounce the environment but it’s going to ensure that the parasitical influences that have constipated development in New Zealand are disposed of.”
Regarding any compromise on the bill, Jones said the Fast track legislation was “turning into a bit of a chess game”, with Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop the bishop – and Jones “the knight – Fast-track Knight”.
“I don’t have the furnishings to be a Queen.”
Bishop said he was “pretty heartened” by the result of the poll and he believed it showed there was “a real desire from many New Zealanders to make it easier to build things in this country”.
He said the bill was all about addressing New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit, and red tape was “strangling this economy”.
Bishop said he respected where the environmental movement was coming from in its opposition.
“But I would respectfully say we can grow the economy, build infrastructure [and] protect the environment all at the same time.”
He said some projects approved through the bill could have positive environmental impacts, such as windfarms, solar farms or geothermal energy.
The Government was open to “sensible changes” to the bill, he said – including removing the power of ministers to have ultimate say on projects, saying that was “possible”.
Decision-making should be transparent and free of conflicts – Auditor-General
Auditor-General John Ryan told 1News on Wednesday the choice of how decisions are made is up to the Government.
From a public trust perspective, it was important there was always transparency on why decisions were made, as well as ensuring they were made without conflicts of interest.
“In my view, there’s a need for more clarity on how decisions have been made and, in particular, the basis for a final decision to be made. So, why were things agreed to, why weren’t they agreed to, why wasn’t official advice from the expert panel either followed or not followed. I think that would give the public transparency of the decision-making process and that would strengthen the proposed bill.”