An estimated twenty-thousand people have gathered in Auckland to protest against a controversial bill which would allow the Government to speed up the permit and consent process for major infrastructure projects by bypassing existing requirements.
The March for Nature protest, organised by a range of environmental groups including Greenpeace and Forest and Bird, calls for the Fast-track Approvals Bill to be withdrawn.
Speeches began in Aotea Square at about 1pm and a march down Queen St began shortly before 2pm.
The March for Nature protest, organised by a range of environmental groups, calls for the Fast-track Approvals Bill to be withdrawn.
Greenpeace executive director Russel Norman told the crowd they represented the “overwhelming majority” of New Zealanders.
“We love our country and that is why we say no to the Government’s war on nature.
“We say to this Government: You must listen to the voices of the nation, not the dollars of your donors.”
Norman told 1News protesters would fight every project under the fast-track bill and that companies would face “enormous opposition”.
“If this bill were to proceed in its current form, it would cause enormous environmental harm,” he said.
“But it won’t [proceed] because we’re going to fight it every step of the way.”
Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki told the march that nature is “what makes us all Kiwis”.
“Today people from all walks of life across Aotearoa New Zealand have come together and have collectively given nature a voice.
“We can see a different future – one where our environment’s health protects us and lets us thrive in a climate-changed world. Where flourishing nature is our nation’s strength.”
One protester described putting three ministers in charge of fast-track decisions as “democracy dying”.
“It’s crazy and open to corruption. It’s bonkers.”
Earlier this week, a protester wearing an oversized paper-mâché head caricature of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was spotted riding a wrecking ball on the back of a crane carrying truck in Auckland’s CBD.
The stunt was carried out to protest the Govt’s Fast Track Bill.
Auckland Transport warned visitors to the city centre of road closures and traffic between 12pm and 4pm today.
“There will be some detours to city centre bus routes.”
AT said the city centre would still be accessible by public transport, but added access to the Downtown Car Park on Customs St would be restricted or closed for a short period of time.
The bill is currently at the Select Committee stage. More than a thousand submissions will be heard over a six-week period, from 550 organisations and 550 members of the public.
Approximately 27,000 written submissions were received by the committee in total.
The committee will report back on recommendations on September 7.
What is the Fast-track Approvals bill?
As part of its coalition deal with New Zealand First, National agreed to establish a “fast-track one-stop shop” consenting and permitting process. This would prioritise regionally and nationally significant infrastructure projects.
The proposed law would allow eligible projects to bypass the multiple consent requirements many developments currently need to have, including resource consents, marine consents, aquaculture decisions, Section 61 land access arrangements under the Crown Minerals Act, approvals under the Wildlife Act and concessions or permissions under the Conservation Act and Reserve Act.
An expert panel would review the projects that made it to the fast-track process, however the ultimate decision on whether the project goes ahead would jointly rest with the Minister of Infrastructure (Chris Bishop), Minister of Transport (Simeon Brown) and Minister of Regional Development (Shane Jones).
Projects could enter the process either by referral by Government ministers or by being included in a list of projects inserted into Schedule 2A of the bill. A Fast Track Advisory group was set up to offer advice on what projects should be on that list.