Will's Word: New law speeds development but risks ecosystems

We're going to be talking about the fast track bill. I'm stunned that we've even gotten to this point.

If you didn't know, the fast track legislation has passed in Parliament, and I reckon it's a significant blow to the environment and the future of New Zealand, frankly.

Now, the government argues the bill will help address issues like housing crisis and infrastructure deficits, but honestly, I reckon it comes at a steep cost.

Our natural landscape and longstanding environmental protections, which have served us well.

The legislation, just for a bit more context, aims to speed up the approval of 149 major projects, as the government likes to flaunt.

But like I say, it threatens to override vital environmental safeguards.

If you think about it, the opposition, of course, they're going to oppose this for the sake of being in opposition, but I also agree with what they say.

Labour and the Green Party have warned that the bill prioritises short-term economic gains over the long-term health of our environment.

It is that simple. That is a common sense approach.

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And so, by removing consent processes, frankly, it opens the door for companies to bulldoze through precious ecosystems, bulldoze through the environment, wreck it, wreak havoc, you name it, without proper oversight or scrutiny.

Maybe I am going a bit too far with this, but genuinely, projects that could harm conservation land, like mining operations, which this government has very much an appetite to do, particularly alarming to me, and also dumb. It is dumb policy, dumb decision-making, dumb legislation.

Frankly, it's even dumb that we've gotten to this point.

So, while economic growth and job creation, I know, are important, of course, we need it.

Frankly, it shouldn't come at the expense of the planet, which is exactly what this bill will do.

That's Will's Word.