Protect Animals, Environment, and Democratic Values
Oppose the Fast Track Bill
UPDATE: Submissions closed at midnight April 19th 2024. Thank you to those who have taken the time to submit. The AJP submission can be viewed here.
The recently introduced Fast-Track Bill poses a multifaceted threat to New Zealand’s environmental, democratic, and ethical standards.
The Bill paves the way for unchecked harm to countless animals by giving three Ministers unchecked authority to expedite development approvals. These activities could include intensive animal agriculture and aquaculture farming practices and mining on conservation land where many of our threatened species live.
The Animal Justice Party does not want to see this Bill passed.
We encourage you to share your opposition to the Bill to the Select Committee before 19 April.
The following is a template to assist you in making your own submission. It provides some key points that we as champions for animals are particularly concerned about. We encourage you to add your own personal comments.
Make a Submission Today!
Submissions are open until 19 April and must be uploaded to the Parliament website at the following link
Submit on the BillView Our TemplateOur Suggested Submission
Copy and paste from the below to help compile your personalised submission then click the Submit button to upload your document to the Parliament website.
Submission of [your name] on the Fast-track Approvals Bill
Introduce yourself and your connection to animals and the environment.
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the Fast-Track Bill currently under consideration. The implications of this legislation are deeply troubling from multiple perspectives, particularly concerning animal welfare, environmental conservation, and democratic governance.
Without adequate safeguards, the Fast-Track Bill could expedite projects that increase animal suffering, drive species to extinction, exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions, contaminate freshwater, and jeopardise human and animal health.
The Bill is undemocratic
The Bill represents a concerning departure from democratic principles by granting sweeping powers to Ministers without accountability or transparency.
Public consultation, scrutiny, and upholding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi are indispensable pillars of democratic governance, ensuring that decisions reflect the collective will and values of the people and tangata whenua. However, the Fast-Track Bill sidelines public involvement and neglects the principles of Te Tiriti, risking exacerbating environmental degradation and social inequities.
The Bill will make it easier to harm animals and the environment
The legislation’s provisions pave the way for unchecked harm to countless animals through expedited approval of activities related to intensive animal agriculture, aquaculture and activities on conservation land.
The intensification of animal agriculture not only exacerbates existing welfare issues but also contributes significantly to environmental degradation, with industrial dairy operations being a primary culprit in water pollution.
The inclusion of aquaculture projects, characterised by high-density fish farming practices, further compounds these concerns, perpetuating unnatural conditions for aquatic species and exacerbating environmental pressures.
The Bill’s disregard for conservation protections jeopardises the survival of threatened species and ecosystems, allowing for irreversible harm to our natural heritage.
The Bill enables profit now over future generations
It is alarming that companies may exploit the Fast-Track Bill to bypass regulatory scrutiny and push forward with environmentally destructive ventures. This circumvention of due process not only undermines conservation efforts but also erodes public trust in the protection of our natural heritage.
The Bill ultimately seems to prioritise profit over ethical and sustainable practices.
Overall, the Fast-Track Bill constitutes a radical disruption of New Zealand’s environmental consenting processes, posing a serious and intergenerational threat to animals and our environmental, democratic, and ethical values.
As an individual deeply committed to advocating for the rights of animals and the preservation of our environment, I urge the Select Committee to reject this Bill.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my concerns on this Bill.
I do/ do not [DELETE AS APPROPRIATE] wish to make an oral submission to the select committee.