The older I get the more I adhere to the theory of the pendulum swing; being that things tend to veer between the extremes until they find a sensible middle-ground.

I’ve been at an LGNZ meeting this week where the new fast-tracks approvals process for consenting infrastructure was a hot topic of discussion. 

If you don’t know about this, the thumbnail sketch is that there is a bill before Parliament right now that is designed to provide a one-stop-shop form of authorisation, that captures all necessary regulatory approvals, access permissions and public works proclamations (the red tape some may say) to take or deal with land, under more than 10 separate acts and regulations. 

It will also see three ministers (Bishop, Brown and Jones) able to approve infrastructure projects of regional or national significance through to an expert panel who then can make recommendations on the project that the ministers can take into account as much as they wish when making a final decision. And, that final decision cannot be appealed other than on questions of law.

On the one hand, New Zealand has a terrible record for the cost of getting consent to do anything compared to other OECD nations. 

For instance, a very recent Bofa Miskell report to the Ministry of the Environment estimated that the consenting processes for waste water consenting plants can take both significant time (between 2 and 4 years) and cost (an average consent process would be in the order of $500,000 to secure). 

The way we do things currently is out of whack in my view and absolutely needs sorted out. 

We have all seen or heard of people or organisations who are barely involved or affected by a project having a disproportionate say in outcomes under the current regime, and often those people or groups have money behind them, allowing a disbalanced fight in the courts. 

But on the other hand, the proposal puts a lot of power in the hands of just three people.

So where is the sweet spot, the place where the pendulum balances progress unencumbered by unnecessary expense against the legitimate needs of the environment and of the people who are genuinely affected? 

Time will tell, but it may sit somewhere in between what we’ve got and what we might be about to get.

If you want to know more and perhaps make a submission on the bill, details can be found at Fast-track Approvals Bill - New Zealand Parliament. Submissions close next Friday.