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New Zealand’s Fast-Track Bill faces backlash for cutting public input and weakening environmental reviews.
New Zealand’s proposed Fast-Track Approvals Amendment Bill has drawn sharp criticism from environmental groups, including Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, who say it undermines public participation, weakens environmental protections, and threatens democratic oversight.
The bill would restrict public and iwi input, shorten comment periods, limit appeal rights, and allow the Minister broad discretion to define project benefits, raising concerns about bias and rushed decisions.
Critics argue the changes, made with minimal consultation, risk bypassing proper scrutiny, eroding Treaty of Waitangi obligations, and enabling projects like seabed mining to advance without adequate review, despite existing panel processes working within current timelines.
El proyecto de ley Fast-Track de Nueva Zelanda se enfrenta a una reacción violenta por reducir la participación pública y debilitar las revisiones ambientales.