This Government bill provides a streamlined decision-making process to facilitate the delivery of infrastructure and development projects considered to have significant regional or national benefits. It was passed by Parliament and received Royal assent, becoming the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024.
Parliament advanced this bill under urgency (committee of whole house, first reading) — moving it through faster than usual, with less time than normal for public submissions.
This Government bill sets up a streamlined “one-stop-shop” approvals process for infrastructure and development projects judged to have significant regional or national benefits — such as roads, renewable energy, housing and mining. Instead of seeking consents separately under the Resource Management Act and other laws, an eligible project can obtain the consents, approvals and authorisations it needs through a single dedicated pathway, with decisions made by expert panels and designated ministers. It affects developers and investors, the councils and agencies that normally process approvals, and communities, iwi and hapū whose input runs through the new process.
It reflects a coalition commitment to cut red tape and speed up building, and draws on the earlier COVID-19 Recovery fast-track consenting model. Supporters argue it removes duplication and delay, unlocking investment, jobs, housing and infrastructure. Critics argue that concentrating decisions with ministers can override environmental and heritage protections, weaken public and iwi participation, and create conflict-of-interest risks when projects are hand-picked for approval.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.