Learn languages naturally with fresh, real content!

tap to translate recording

Explore By Region

flag New Zealand's new bill speeds up major project approvals, especially for grocery stores, cutting processing time to a year or less.

flag New Zealand’s Fast-Track Approvals Amendment Bill, introduced on November 6, 2025, aims to accelerate major project consents, particularly for grocery retail, by cutting approval times by at least six weeks and reducing average processing to one year or less. flag The bill streamlines the process through a one-stop application system, clarifies competition as a valid reason for fast-tracking, and empowers the infrastructure minister to issue policy statements on competition. flag It also strengthens the MultiProof approvals regime and limits public and expert input, drawing criticism from Greenpeace, which calls it a threat to environmental protections and democratic oversight. flag The bill passed its first reading and will now face review by the Environment Committee.

5 Articles