‘Fast track’ changes announced

Press, 18 August 1981, Page 3

‘Fast track’ changes announced

PA Wellington Problems foreseen in getting the aluminium smelter project at Aramoana started are among the reasons behind the Government announcement yesterday to amend the National Development Act.

The Minister of Energy (Mr Birch) said yesterday afternoon that problems anticipated at the country's second smelter in the light of previous experience presented to the fast-track legislation’s tribunal, were the cause of the Cabinet decision to bring forward an amendment bill and pass it. this year. "We need to ensure that if we are going to have .a fast track and a comprehensive planning hearing before the tribunal it needs to be sufficiently wide to catch all the detail?’ he said.

Examples the Minister gave of areas which seemed to be outside the act’s provi-

sions were reclamations, and closing of roads. .The question of closing roads had been raised at Aramoana. The use of part of the land required for. the smelter might have the status of legal roads. "If that is the case it may be a timeconsuming procedure to close the roads in anticipation of the smelter being built." he said.

) The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) had told a press conference earlier in the day that some of the “fringe issues” in development projects needed to be brought within the scope of the act ■and go on the fast-track procedure. It was possible to frustrate the workings of the act by dragging out hearings on some of these elements. Mr Muldoon said. “In effect, the act becomes worthless in that respect. “It appears that there are some aspects of it that need to be amended and tightened up so that some of the fringe issues in these development projects are brought within i the scope of the act and go on ,to the fast-track procedure," he said.

Mr Muldoon said that anyone who wished to object would still have that, right, and could make their case before the tribunal. “It will be. dealt with, a decision made and, if he wins, that is the end of it. If he doesn't win, the project can proceed without the frus-> tration of additional delays) by subsequent procedures." ; Mr Muldoon said that his purpose in announcing the I Government's intention wasi so that all parties had the I earliest possible notice. It would take a week or: two to draft the bill and then j the whole of the detail would be available, the Prime Min-I ister said. j Mr Birch said that it was| on his advice that the Cabinet had agreed to amend the | act. The amendments wou'dl “tidy up a number of areas' that have arisen out of our* experience before the tribu- i nal, and anticipate problems; that are likely to arise at Aramoana.” He said that he was discussing with the Crown. Law . Office proposed amendments in three areas: .'•'■■

© A general provision to allow additional ■ consents, to those specified in the’act, so that there would be a “comprehensive procedure to. catch all matters arising out of planning applications so they can go to the tribunal.”

© Provision for a correction to a possible “defect" in the act. relating to the Commissioner for the Environment. The act does not provide that any litigation arising out of the role of the commissioner is caught by Section 17. which places matters directly before the Appeal Court.'The section provides that any appeals on points of law are directed to the Appeal Court, instead of going to the High Court, where matters relating to the commissioner may end up at the moment.

© Providing closer definition of phrases in the act. The phrase “environmental impact report." for example, may require better definition.

Approval by Order-in-Council has been granted to three projects as a result of the fast-track provisions — for the Taranaki methanol and synthetic petrol plants and the smelter.

Officials were now going j to work on proposed amend- I ments, and the matter would i go back to the Cabinet, said | the Minister. |