The Government is refusing to release a list it is developing of environmentally-damaging projects – coal mines on public conservation land, huge dams that flood forests and fish farms in already compromised oceans – it wants to rubber stamp under its proposed Fast-track Approvals Bill.
Even Parliament’s Environment Committee, the select committee charged with scrutinising the Bill, won't see the list. Worse, Members of Parliament won’t see any details about the projects until after they vote for the list and the Bill has become law.
This means as they vote, MPs won’t know whether projects will kill endangered birds in their region, destroy native forests, or pollute their constituents’ local swimming hole.
This isn’t good enough. We demand that Government show New Zealanders the list and are asking Parliament to stop the Fast-track Approvals Bill from proceeding further until Parliament has been given the list of projects and sought the public’s views.⏎