Fast-Track Approvals Bill: Government to take ‘good look’ at ministers’ powers, conflicts of interest management

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says the Government will take “a good look” at whether ministers should have final decision-making powers under the new fast-track consenting legislation, after concerns about it were raised in submissions.

The Fast-Track Approvals Bill is currently before a select committee and several submitters have raised concerns about the extent of the power held by the three ministers who will sign off on projects, as well as transparency around conflicts of interest.

They include the Auditor-General, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton and the New Zealand Institute.

The three ministers who will decide on projects are Bishop, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Transport Minister Simeon Brown.

Bishop today said the Government was open to “constructive changes” to ameliorate some of the concerns that had been raised, specifically mentioning the Auditor-General and Upton’s submissions

Bishop noted that some believed the final decisions should be made by an independent body rather than ministers.

“That’ll be one of the things that we consider. There’s been some suggestions around how the panel should be the final decision-makers around that, in the same way [as] Labour’s fast-track regime. We’ll have a good look at that, and we’ll be be taking advice on that.”

He also pointed to the concerns about managing conflicts of interest. The Auditor-General raised the need for a more robust and transparent way to manage perceived or actual conflict of interests rather than relying on the Cabinet Manual guidelines.

There has already been some scrutiny of donations made to the governing parties and MPs by some organisations who were sent a letter advising them how to apply for fast-tracking approval.

Bishop said oral submissions were yet to begin so it would be some time before final decisions were made.

However, he said no major changes were likely and he would not budge on the one-stop shop idea, to make it easier to get major projects over the line.

“The core of our promise remains, which is to make it easier to build things in New Zealand. My view of it is that people do want more transport infrastructure, they want to make it easier to get renewable energy built in this country. These are some of the problems that have bedevilled the New Zealand economy for a long time.”

Bishop said the “red tape and green tape” involved in the Resource Management Act process had to be cut, pointing to the $1.3 billion annual cost of consenting paperwork alone.

The Fast-Track Approvals Bill has proved controversial with environmental groups in particular objecting to the extent to which the environment is considered in the process.

It is proposed that a list of projects will be included in the bill before it is passed by Parliament. Ministers sign off on the projects, while an independent panel assesses what conditions should be imposed, including environmental protections.

The ministers currently have the power to reject the panel’s recommendations.

Claire Trevett is the NZ Herald’s political editor, based at Parliament in Wellington. She started at the Herald in 2003 and joined the Press Gallery team in 2007. She is a life member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery.