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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.
Thank you,
Chris Bishop
Minister for Infrastructure
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