The projects will have significant benefits, says infrastructure minister
The government has released 149 projects as part of its Fast Track Approvals Bill which will help in rebuilding the economy, fix the housing crisis, improve energy security, and address the infrastructure deficit, said Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop.
Adding to this, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones pointed out that the selected projects will have significant benefits to the regions as well as New Zealand as a whole since it will deliver jobs and growth. It will also develop a pipeline of major projects that will help in boosting the economy.
“The projects have been selected through a thorough and robust process which included an open application process run by Ministry for the Environment, analysis by officials, an independent assessment and recommendations process by an independent Advisory Group, and final decisions by Cabinet,’ said Jones.
Once the bill is reported back from the Environment Committee some time in mid-October, Jones further said that the projects that were chosen by the Cabinet to be listed will be listed in Schedule 2 of the Bill.
“As we’ve publicly said before, the Government is also recommending to the Environment Committee that expert panels have the ability to decline approval for projects. The expert panels will include members with technical expertise relevant to a project, expertise in environmental matters (and where relevant, conservation), and the Treaty of Waitangi,” said Jones.
The minister also said that the panel will function like the COVID-19 Fast Track legislation that was established by the previous government.
“The Fast Track Approvals Bill is a key part of the government’s plan to rebuild our economy and cut through the red and green tape that has made it more and more difficult to build the projects New Zealand needs,” said Jones.
Some of the projects include 44 listed housing developments, seven aquaculture and farming projects, 43 infrastructure projects, eight quarrying projects, 22 renewable electricity projects, and 11 mining projects.
“The projects will bring a big boost, and will help stimulate various industries, including the aquaculture, energy, housing, and mining sectors. This progress is going to help get things moving and flowing where it is needed, in the form of job creation, construction, new opportunities, and more business,” said Jones.
“While the independent Advisory Group recommended to Ministers a total of 342 projects for inclusion in the Bill, Cabinet chose to include only 149 of them to better reflect the capacity from expert panels to assess and consent these projects,” said Bishop.