Nick Leggett & Gary Taylor: The projects picked for fast track approval

Over one hundred projects have been selected for fast tracking through the recently announced Fast Track Approvals Bill.

Housing, energy, and major infrastructure projects will take priority. 

Infrastructure NZ Chief Executive Nick Leggett and Environmental Defence Society Chief Executive Gary Taylor join Jack Tame to debate whether it's as good as it immediately seems.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
One hundred and forty nine projects have been picked for
fast tracking through the Fast Track Approvals Bills, Housing, energy,
major infrastructure projects take the priority. Eden Park two point
one is on the list as well. Infrastructure Minister Chris
Bishop reckons the bill will be passed by the end
of this year.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
The expert panels will be set up early in twenty
twenty five and our expectation is that some of these
projects will be consented in a manner of that compares
to the status quo, which could be a matter of
years and years.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
But the legislation and the list is still contentious. Infrastructure
New Zealand Boss Nick Leggett is a fan, but CEO
of the Environmental Defense Society Gary Taylor has some questions.
They are both with us this afternoon. Kioder, guys Neck,
We'll start with you, what do you think of the list?

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Well, I think it's quite a balance, lush Jack, and
it really speaks to the need that this country has
to get its act together and build some infrastructure you
know that works both for land trands, support for alternative
energy and of course for housing and leland is hampered

(01:08):
with infrastructure. We're small, you know, we're a small market.
We're distant from other parts of the country, but we're
also very slow and we're not that great at making decisions,
and so we fall at the bottom of the world
where it comes to the efficiency that we get from
our infrastructure spend. That's because stuff gets delayed, things take
too long to consent and you know, frankly, we just

(01:32):
we lack the certainty in our market to be able
to get efficiency.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Okay, Gary, what do you think of the list specifically?

Speaker 3 (01:41):
Well, I agree with Nick there's a lot of I mean,
we have a huge infrastructure deficit in this country. You know,
we need to spend another two hundred million dollars or
so to fix things, and that's obviously a priority, I think.
I think however, there is some so you know, there's
a lot that's on that list that I wouldn't quibble with,

(02:02):
but there are some that I.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Would, Right, What would you quibble with?

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Well, I'd quibble with the inclusion of coal mines, for instance.
I think having trans Tasman resources on there is actually
a surprise because they want to use the same space
as off Taranaki, as the offshore wind guys want to use.
And I might have thought wind was a higher priority

(02:28):
in terms of infrastructure than you know, sand extraction. There's
also sort of zombie projects as they're called, which are
ones that have already been through a normal process and
being refused consent for good reasons. Was the keia Y
Matty waste to energy plant, which I think is very

(02:51):
controversial in terms of its potential for bad air emissions.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
So those are all, I mean predominantly environmental concerns. How
do you respond to that? Are you concerned about those
environmental projects that might have negative environmental impacts?

Speaker 2 (03:06):
Look, I think that everybody needs to be on watch
where it comes to environmental projects. Would say that we're
pretty pleased to see the quarries included, because we can't
build decent infrastructure projects without quarries, and we have a
problem in this country that quarries are becoming farther and
farther from cities, and of course that adds to not

(03:28):
only costs but also emissions to get aggregate to where
it needs to go to build. But look, I would
say there are protections here and that we would expect
that expert panels to put conditions on consents that address
environmental and social impacts during construction and for the eventual

(03:49):
operations of these projects infrastructure. New Zealand is primarily interested
in the building of decent infrastructure for KIWIS. Gary raises
our points, and other people who have opposed us raised
fair points. We've got to ensure that the right checks
and balances are in place. And I would say this

(04:09):
as well, Jack, that this is a stop gap until
we can get to that review of the RNA and
the venture replacement. And that's something that's really worth emphasizing.
But we can't afford to pause progress because the country's
social and economic and productivity future relies on us being
able to get some stuff done in the near to

(04:30):
medium term.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
Let me turn that round then on Gary, just finally,
then what do you think about having this bill operating
in practice with that expert panel in place? What will
make it work better from your perspective?

Speaker 3 (04:45):
I'd make three quick points. So the first is that
we already have fast trapped law in place. Over eighty
projects have been approved, including a lot of infrastructure projects,
an average time for decision making of eighty eight days.
The only difference with this point, which is my second one,
with this law is that it actually covers other legislation

(05:06):
as well as the ROMA, so the Conservation Act, the
Wildlife Act and so on, that arguably is a good thing,
I suppose, the one stop shop. But the third and
most important point, and here I do disagree with Nick,
is that there's an implicit heavy bias against the environment
and in favor of development the way that this bill

(05:29):
is drafted at present. And if you want to take
the kind of emotional pitch that you included in your
editorial at the start here, yes, it's really important that
we clean up the oil spill in Samoa, but it's
also really important that we look after our environment in
this country.

Speaker 1 (05:47):
Hey, thank you both for your time. We really appreciate it.
Gary Taylor and neck Le get there.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
For more from Hither duplessy Ellen Drive.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
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