Shane Jones hopes there will be more applications for water storage schemes seeking inclusion in the government’s fast-track consenting approval process.
Jones, the Minister for Regional Development, was responding to news that Irrigation NZ is promoting fast-track approval for four water storage schemes: Tuki Tuki in Hawke’s Bay, Falls Dam in Central Otago, Wairarapa revamp and Klondyke water storage in Mid Canterbury.
The final list of economic development projects to be included in the government’s fast-track consenting scheme will be announced later this year.
Jones said water storage is critical in dealing with volatile weather patterns and climate change.
“Water storage attracts a lot of criticism but I am not interested in climate cultists, I am only interested in adaption and future proofing the primary sector,” he said in an interview.
The Fast-track Approvals Bill is designed to cut the red and green tape and make it easier and faster to build significant projects.
The members of the independent Fast-track Advisory Group are David Tapsell, Vaughan Wilkinson, David Hunt, Mark Davey and Murray Parrish.
They will assess the projects and recommend inclusion in the fast-track process to the ministers of infrastructure, regional development and transport, who will make the final decision.
These will be referred to an Expert Panel, which will apply relevant consent and permit conditions before referring each project and its conditions back to the ministers.
Jones said unlike the Provincial Growth Fund, which was NZ First policy in the 2017-20 government, the party’s Regional Infrastructure Fund, which is current coalition government policy, will not have funding to underwrite these schemes.
“Our focus is simply on ensuring there is a way to expedite the required consents so it is not left to the bureaucratic process that is the Resource Management Act.”
Jones was scathing about how opponents of projects such as water storage have been able to stop or hinder developments.
“I think we should have a NZ-wide network of water storage.
“Where do we think we will get the extra export revenue we need from? It will come from productivity from the primary sector.”
The backgrounds of members of the advisory group are:
Tapsell is a commercial lawyer and company director, Mercer is a civil engineer with experience in delivering infrastructure projects, Wilkinson has held senior management positions in the fishing industry and has experience in transport and logistics, Hunt is the former chief executive of Contact Energy and has several governance roles, Parrish was a senior manager at Oji Fibre Solutions and Davey is an experienced urban planner.
