The Climate Change Minister says he has not sought any advice on the climate impacts of the Fast-track Approvals Bill – submissions for which close at midnight tonight.
The revelation has prompted Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick to accuse Simon Watts of being “missing in action” on “one of the most environmentally and climate destructive pieces of this Government’s agenda so far”.
But the Minister says the climate change impacts of the bill will be dependent on the projects it fast tracks, and has the potential to assist New Zealand in reaching its climate change targets by consenting projects that assist them.
The bill has courted controversy due to the amount of power it places in three ministers’ hands to approve or disapprove of projects fast-tracked through consents.
The Government says 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 (New Zealand First’s 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”, and for not including a Treaty of Waitangi principles clause.
Now, through a parliamentary written question submitted by Swarbrick and provided to 1News, Watts revealed he has not sought any advice from officials on the climate impacts of the Fast-track Approvals Bill.
Other questions submitted by Swarbrick to Resource Management Act Reform Minister Chris Bishop also showed the Government could not rule out coal mining projects being fast tracked under the proposed law, nor mining in Significant Natural Areas.
Swarbrick said Watts was “a nice guy and all” but she was “gutted to see the Climate Minister’s office brought into total disrepute” by “sidelining” himself by not asking questions about the climate change impacts of the bill.
“Christopher Luxon promised to put the Climate Minister in Cabinet during the election and not only hasn’t that happened, but the Minister is completely missing in action on one of the most environmentally and climate destructive pieces of this Government’s agenda so far.
“Does the Climate Minister see his job as fighting for a healthy climate for us all, or sticking his head in the sand while his Government fast-tracks coal mines that we’ve internationally committed to phasing out? Is he dedicated to staying below 1.5 degrees of warming necessary for life as we know it, or ignoring the independent, expert Climate Change Commissions’ advice that coal must be phased out?”
She said the Government was “telling us they care about profit above the health of people and the planet”.
“When someone tells you who they are, believe them.”
Watts is currently in Manila, having accompanied Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on his tour of South-East Asia. The two, along with New Lynn MP Paulo Garcia, are expected to board a plane to return to New Zealand this evening, Philippines time.
1News asked Watts why he had not asked for the advice, whether he had any reservations about the impact the bill would have on New Zealand’s climate change goals, and whether he felt the bill fairly considered potential climate and environmental impacts.
He said any climate impacts of the bill would be dependent on the projects that received fast track approval.
“Applications for those projects are still open.
“The Fast-track Approval Bill process will have projects sent to an expert advisory panel who will look carefully at potential impacts and make recommendations on appropriate conditions.”
He said the bill would be a “critical” part of New Zealand meeting its climate change targets as it would enable projects – including for renewable energy – to be consented at “a more appropriate speed”.
“Currently, consenting for major projects takes far too long, far too expensive and is holding New Zealand back from doubling our renewable energy capacity.
“That’s why we want to remove the barriers, so we can accelerate decarbonisation and deliver our climate change targets.”
He said the next five years were important to New Zealand meeting its climate change targets, and the Government was “not going to sit on our hands and allow projects that will help meet our targets be slowed down”.
On Wednesday, a press conference with Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown – on a different matter – was interrupted by protesters opposed to the Fast-track Approvals Bill, some of whom employed the use of sirens in an attempt to interrupt the ministers as they spoke.
Protesters claimed they believed the proposed legislation was “anti-democratic” and would silence community voices.
Bishop later told 1News: “The Fast-track bill is about building the infrastructure and significant projects New Zealand needs to grow the economy and provide jobs and growth, including renewable energy to decarbonise the economy.
“It’s simply too hard to get things done in New Zealand and we make no apologies for cutting through the red tape holding us back.”
Straterra chief executive Josie Vidal today said the bill was a well-timed “disrupter” that would get infrastructure and development projects moving.
“This bill is not pitting the environment against the economy. It is bringing balance to a regime that has been so skewed that getting projects up and running has been unnecessarily challenging.”
Straterra is an advocacy group for the minerals and mining industry in New Zealand.