The NZ Parliament Environment Committee is calling for public submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Amendment Bill.

The bill would amend the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024. The bill seeks to:

• amend the Act to improve certainty that grocery retail competition is a relevant factor in deciding whether a project has significant regional or national benefits, with the aim of improving competition in the grocery sector.
• make technical and operational changes to the fast-track approvals process aimed at improving the efficiency of the process by reducing time frames, duplication, and unnecessary costs, and providing clarity for applicants to the fast-track approvals process by addressing ambiguities.