The Hatea River below the Whangarei Falls in Northland, New Zealand. Photo: 123RF
A group representing thousands of scientists has written to the Cabinet saying the government's plan for fast tracking consenting is retrograde and values development over the environment. The legislation - which passed its first reading last week - will give three ministers the power to bypass normal consent processes and have the final say on approvals for special infrastructure projects
A group of ten scientific societies which conduct research in biodiversity say New Zealand's plants, animals, fungi and ecosystems are globally unique but are also threatened with extinction. In a letter sent to Ministers today, they say the changes will cause further degradation, and mean that development projects will be at the whim of political decision-making and ministerial discretion, without appropriate checks and balances.
Dr Jo Monks is the Vice-President of the New Zealand Ecological Society, a Lecturer in Ecology at the University of Otago, and is the spokesperson for the group.
