Dear John --
Today, our government has announced 149 projects for our one-stop-shop Fast Track Approvals Bill which will help to rebuild the economy and fix our housing crisis, improve energy security, and address our infrastructure deficit.
These projects will revitalise New Zealand’s economy after years of slow growth. Among them are 44 housing developments that will help address the housing crisis, enabling the construction of up to 55,000 new homes in key growth areas. Seven aquaculture and farming projects will strengthen partnerships with iwi and boost Māori development, contributing up to 143,000 tonnes of output per year.
The list also includes 43 infrastructure projects, expected to deliver up to 180km of new road, rail, and public transport routes, and 22 renewable electricity projects, adding up to 3 gigawatts of generation capacity to New Zealand’s electricity system. Mining projects will contribute to doubling the value of mineral exports by 2035, creating highly skilled jobs and boosting regional economies.
Successive governments have allowed red and green tape to hinder economic growth, delaying much-needed infrastructure and housing projects. The Fast-track Approvals Bill cuts through this bureaucracy, enabling projects of national and regional significance to proceed more quickly and efficiently.
This project will also create high-paying jobs, address long-standing housing shortages, and close our infrastructure gaps. The projects included in the Fast-track Approvals Bill will play a key role in boosting growth and prosperity.
The announcement also aligns with New Zealand’s climate change targets. The 22 renewable energy projects across the country will collectively add up to 3 gigawatts (GW) or 3,000,000 kilowatts (kW) of generation capacity— for context, Auckland’s peak demand is around 2 Gigawatts – helping to strengthen the electricity grid and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Each project will be reviewed by an expert panel, which will assess its environmental effects. The panels will contain expertise relevant to the project, environmental issues, and Treaty considerations. They will balance environmental protection with the need for growth, and if the environmental impacts are deemed excessive the panel can decline the project.
You can view the full list of projects here <[link removed]>.
Thank you,
Chris Bishop
Minister for Infrastructure
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NZ National Party - 41 Pipitea St, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
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