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       Ngāti Toa hikoi: Hundreds march to oppose fast-track bill
        
 (HTM) Source
        
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       Hundreds have marched on Parliament in a hīkoi to oppose the
       Government's fast-track consenting bill, which Ngāti Toa Rangatira has
       described as "short-sighted".
        
       Marchers gathered at Wellington Railway Station for the hīkoi, making
       their way to the Beehive at about 1pm earlier this afternoon.
        
       At Parliament grounds, the hīkoi was greeted by Māori Development
       Minister Tama Potaka and RMA Minister Chris Bishop — who is in charge
       of the fast-track legislation.
        
       Iwi members presented trees and a petition that outlined their
       concerns.
        
       Ngāti Toa chief executive Helmut Modlik said the proposed bill
       "increases the likelihood of irreversible harm to our taiao,
       ecosystems and biodiversity".
        
       Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka and RMA Minister Chris Bishop
       accept a petition from a hīkoi on May 8. (Source: 1News)
        
       "It will allow big corporations to do anything they want in Aotearoa,
       without any say from the public, iwi, hapū, environmental experts and
       communities," he said.
        
       "We have witnessed the degradation that fast-tracked development has
       had on Te Awarua o Porirua Harbour that was once a food basket for
       Ngāti Toa. We will not sit by and let this happen again. Ngāti Toa is
       drawing the line on this kaupapa."
        
       Ngāti Toa environmental manager Rawiri Faulkner said the legislation
       "undermines the Government's obligations to uphold Te Tiriti o
       Waitangi and honour Treaty settlements."
        
       Helmut said: "Ngāti Toa will not let their whenua, awa and moana be
       degraded, poisoned and polluted again.
        
       Marchers gathered on Parliament grounds. (Source: 1News)
        
       "Our rangatiratanga over our whenua is undiminished and, as kaitiaki
       of our whenua, we say to the Government as our tūpuna said before us -
       ka aukatingia koutou - this is a line you may not cross."
        
       Representatives of Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori were also
       present to greet the hīkoi as it arrived at Parliament grounds.
        
       ## Govt looking at 'improvements' to proposed bill
        
       Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka said it was a "very respectful"
       protest.
        
       "There are various ways to engage in the democratic institutions we
       have — I thought that was a very respectful one," he told media.
        
       The Government has faced the heat from environmental groups and mana
       whenua over its proposed fast-track consenting legislation — aimed at
       cutting red tape.
        
       (Source: 1News)
        
       RMA Minister Chris Bishop said he believed the views expressed by
       Ngāti Toa ultimately aligned with the Government's priorities.
        
       "The message I heard today was that the collective aspirations of
       Ngāti Toa Rangatira were not different to the Government's — which is
       to address our housing crisis, our infrastructure deficit, they want
       development."
        
       He added: "We heard the stories around sewage into the harbour. The
       Government's aspirations to fix those issues are the same as Ngati
       Toa's aspirations to fix those as well.
        
       (Source: 1News)
        
       "The fast track bill, we see, is a way to help ameliorate some of the
       problems of our past.
        
       "We've got to do that in a way that also protects the environment and
       doesn't cause more harm than benefits. That is absolutely the
       intention of the Government and we're working through a process around
       improvements to the bill."
        
       The Fast-track Approvals Bill would introduce a "fast-track, one-stop-
       shop consenting regime", to "enable faster approval of infrastructure
       and other projects that have significant regional or national
       benefits", according to its legislative statement.
        
       To access the fast-track process, project owners would need to apply
       to three joint ministers — those holding the infrastructure,
       transport, and regional development portfolios in government.
        
       It would get big projects off the ground more quickly but could be a
       bone of contention within the coalition.
        
       A project would then be referred to an expert panel for assessment,
       but ministers would ultimately make the final call as to whether a
       project proceeded.
        
       It has been criticised as anti-democratic as it reduced the public's
       say on fast-track projects.
        
       The Government has argued that an overly restrictive consenting
       process has slowed down progress on housing and infrastructure
       projects in New Zealand.
        
        
        
        
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