The Environmental Defence Society is pleased to see that the government is no longer pursuing several terrible proposed amendments to the Fast-track Approvals Act. It has released an Amendment Paper to the Fast-track Approvals Amendment Bill today which strikes through most of the bad ideas.

Independent decision-making Panels still have discretion to invite comment from appropriate parties. The Amendment Bill sought to arbitrarily constrain this.

Other positive changes include:

• There is no longer an ability for applicants to “panel-shop” and complain about who is appointed to hear their applications.
• Ministerial influence over activities of the Environmental Protection Authority has been pared back, and can no longer override the Authority’s statutory functions. 
• Applicants can no longer expand or intensify proposals after lodgement.

Other fundamental problems remain unaddressed:

• Standing to appeal remains extremely limited to those who must be invited to comment and does not extend to those that the Panel exercises its discretion to invite.
• Decision timeframes have been limited to 90 days.

More: Shay Schlaepfer, shay@eds.org.nz, 027 946 8079