{"id":63295,"date":"2024-04-19T16:49:44","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T04:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=63295"},"modified":"2025-05-20T13:30:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T01:30:02","slug":"5-ways-the-fast-track-approvals-bill-threatens-nzs-already-fragile-ecosystems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/5-ways-the-fast-track-approvals-bill-threatens-nzs-already-fragile-ecosystems\/","title":{"rendered":"5 ways the Fast-track Approvals Bill threatens NZ\u2019s already fragile\u00a0ecosystems"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Conservation \u201cgood news\u201d stories \u2013 the release of native birds into new habitats, for example \u2013 are always welcome. They recognise the work of conservation staff and volunteers who do the hard slog of checking trap lines and removing weeds.<\/p>\n\n<p>The reality is, however, that Aotearoa New Zealand\u2019s environment is in deep trouble. Talk of a \u201ccrisis\u201d can be unhelpful if it encourages a sense of hopelessness. But with the government\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parliament.nz\/en\/pb\/sc\/make-a-submission\/document\/54SCENV_SCF_083F0A7B-F182-41D5-0897-08DC3E31559C\/fast-track-approvals-bill\">Fast-track Approvals Bill<\/a> approaching rapidly, now is arguably the time to use the word.<\/p>\n\n<p>The bill encourages development, but gives government ministers the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/in-depth\/514352\/secrecy-shrouds-fast-track-projects-as-submissions-close\">power to circumvent<\/a> key environmental planning and protection processes for (as yet unnamed) infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2017\/08\/rakaia-river-braided-12-1024x768.jpg\" title=\"Aerial shot of a braided river\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2017\/08\/rakaia-river-braided-12-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2017\/08\/rakaia-river-braided-12-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2017\/08\/rakaia-river-braided-12-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2017\/08\/rakaia-river-braided-12-1821x1366.jpg 1821w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2017\/08\/rakaia-river-braided-12-453x340.jpg 453w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2017\/08\/rakaia-river-braided-12.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Rakaia braided river<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Geoff Leeming<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>By emphasising short-term economic gain, it risks eroding the country\u2019s already fragile natural capital and pushing biodiversity further into decline.<\/p>\n\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parliament.nz\/en\/ECommitteeSubmission\/54SCENV_SCF_083F0A7B-F182-41D5-0897-08DC3E31559C\/CreateSubmission\">public submissions<\/a> on the bill closing at the end of this week, there are numerous reasons to call for caution and a pause. These can be divided into five broad categories.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-much-has-been-lost-already\">1. Much has been lost already<\/h2>\n\n<p>Ecosystems cannot be restored. Once destroyed, they are gone forever. This is known in restoration ecology as the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.co.nz\/books\/edition\/The_Balance_of_Nature\/OAcHdcvUKUcC?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0\">Humpty Dumpty effect<\/a>\u201d. Here are just some of the facts:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>only 22% of Aotearoa\u2019s original vegetation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/35002501\">remains<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>at least 79 species extinctions have been recorded<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>remaining species currently threatened or at risk include 94% of reptiles, 90% of seabirds, 74% of land birds, 76% of freshwater fish and 46% of plants<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>90% of our wetlands have been lost, as well as 80% of our active sand dune ecosystems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>63% of rare <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doc.govt.nz\/globalassets\/documents\/conservation\/biodiversity\/anzbs-2020.pdf\">ecosystems<\/a> are threatened<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>46% of lakes over one hectare are in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doc.govt.nz\/globalassets\/documents\/conservation\/biodiversity\/anzbs-2020.pdf\">poor or very poor ecological health<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>The science of restoration ecology is relatively young. We can plant trees and shrubs, and reintroduce some animals previously present in a restoration area. But we do not currently have the knowledge to restore lichens, mosses, fungi and invertebrate communities.<\/p>\n\n<p>These all play a major role in the functioning of ecosystems, including decomposition and nutrient cycling.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-habitats-are-fast-disappearing\">2. Habitats are fast disappearing<\/h2>\n\n<p>New Zealanders often imagine native vegetation is well protected, and the wholesale land clearance practised by earlier generations has stopped.<\/p>\n\n<p>But many terrestrial ecosystems are still being cleared today for development. Between 2012 and 2018, almost 13,000 hectares (the equivalent of 13,000 rugby fields) of native vegetation was <a href=\"https:\/\/environment.govt.nz\/assets\/publications\/Environmental-Reporting\/environment-aotearoa-2022.pdf\">lost due to development<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>We know at least 5,000 hectares of wetlands <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doc.govt.nz\/globalassets\/documents\/conservation\/biodiversity\/anzbs-2020.pdf\">have been lost<\/a> since 2001. Nearly 12,000 hectares of Canterbury\u2019s river margins were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stuff.co.nz\/environment\/88605503\/over-the-line-rivers-being-whittled-away\">lost to intensive farming<\/a> between 1990 and 2012. Ecosystems that remain are degraded and <a href=\"https:\/\/environment.govt.nz\/assets\/publications\/Environmental-Reporting\/environment-aotearoa-2022.pdf\">river health is worsening<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2024\/03\/ceb50dbb-ashburtonriver-1024x768.jpg\" title=\"Aerial view of the Ashburton River North Branch, CC BY-SA 4.0\" alt=\"Aerial view of the Ashburton River North Branch, CC BY-SA 4.0\" class=\"wp-image-62889\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2024\/03\/ceb50dbb-ashburtonriver-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2024\/03\/ceb50dbb-ashburtonriver-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2024\/03\/ceb50dbb-ashburtonriver-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2024\/03\/ceb50dbb-ashburtonriver-453x340.jpg 453w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2024\/03\/ceb50dbb-ashburtonriver.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Aerial view of the Ashburton River North Branch, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Tom Ackroyd CC BY-SA 4.0<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>The Department of Conservation is underfunded and has not been able to assess and reclassify more than 2.7 million hectares of <a href=\"https:\/\/pce.parliament.nz\/publications\/investigating-the-future-of-conservation-the-case-of-stewardship-land\/\">stewardship land<\/a>. Much of this contains rare ecosystems. But it has the lowest protection and may be a prime target for development under the proposed fast-track legislation.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-unique-nz-has-international-obligations\">3. Unique NZ has international obligations<\/h2>\n\n<p>Around 80% of most native species \u2013 81% of insects, 100% of reptiles, frogs and bats, 84% of plants, 72% of birds, and 88% of freshwater fish \u2013 are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doc.govt.nz\/globalassets\/documents\/conservation\/biodiversity\/anzbs-2020.pdf\">found nowhere else in the world<\/a>. New Zealand has been designated one of 25 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/35002501\">global biodiversity<\/a> \u201chot spots\u201d for conservation priority.<\/p>\n\n<p>However, more than 33% of New Zealand species are classified \u201cdata deficient\u201d, meaning we don\u2019t know enough to determine whether they are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doc.govt.nz\/globalassets\/documents\/conservation\/biodiversity\/anzbs-2020.pdf\">threatened with extinction<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>We\u2019re also discovering new species every day. Only an estimated 50% of insect species have been scientifically described, including just 30% of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.landcareresearch.co.nz\/discover-our-research\/biodiversity-biosecurity\/plants-invertebrates-fungi-and-bacteria\/invertebrate-systematics\/ants-wasps-and-bees\/\">Hymenoptera<\/a> (wasps, ants and bees \u2013 including pollinators and natural biocontrol agents).<\/p>\n\n<p>Aotearoa New Zealand is a signatory to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbd.int\/countries\/profile?country=nz\">Convention on Biological Diversity<\/a> (signed in 1993) and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbd.int\/gbf\">Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework<\/a> (signed in 2022). By removing existing environmental protections, the Fast-Track Approvals Bill threatens to undermine these international obligations.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-environment-underpins-economy-health-and-culture\">4. Environment underpins economy, health and culture<\/h2>\n\n<p>Biodiversity and healthy ecosystems provide critical services that prop up human populations. They regulate the climate, prevent erosion, cycle nutrients, filter air particles and water, and mitigate floods.<\/p>\n\n<p>They also provide recreational opportunities, spiritual and cultural connections, and <a href=\"https:\/\/environment.govt.nz\/assets\/publications\/Environmental-Reporting\/environment-aotearoa-2022.pdf\">physical and mental health benefits<\/a> for people.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ecosystem processes, such as pollination and soil formation, underpin primary production and provide pest and disease resilience. They contributed an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.landcareresearch.co.nz\/assets\/Publications\/Ecosystem-services-in-New-Zealand\/3_2_Patterson.pdf\">estimated NZ$57 billion<\/a> (27% of the country\u2019s GDP) to human welfare in 2012.<\/p>\n\n<p>Failing to recognise the value of New Zealand\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treasury.govt.nz\/sites\/default\/files\/2018-08\/LSF-capturing-natural-capital-in-decision-making.pdf\">natural capital<\/a> \u2013 which has previously often been regarded as value-less economically \u2013 risks leaving future generations with even less to support their economy, health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-pushing-ecosystems-to-tipping-points\">5. Pushing ecosystems to tipping points<\/h2>\n\n<p>Degraded ecosystems can reach a <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/bioscience\/article\/69\/5\/335\/5487224?login=false\">tipping point<\/a>, when they collapse and stop functioning \u2013 for example, the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/niwa.co.nz\/our-science\/freshwater\/tools\/kaitiaki_tools\/impacts\/nutrients\/eutrophication\">eutrophication<\/a>\u201d of freshwater systems, which become nutrient-rich and depleted of oxygen.<\/p>\n\n<p>There is now extreme pressure on the biodiversity that supports healthy ecosystems. The economic loss from soil erosion alone (<a href=\"https:\/\/environment.govt.nz\/publications\/environment-aotearoa-2019\/\">192 million tonnes lost annually<\/a>) is estimated at NZ$250-$300 million each year. It takes a thousand years to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/only-60-years-of-farming-left-if-soil-degradation-continues\/\">generate three centimetres of topsoil<\/a> \u2013 and it is running out rapidly.<\/p>\n\n<p>Degraded ecosystems are less resilient to disturbance and are vulnerable to <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10530-017-1416-2\">invasive species<\/a>. Roads and tracks created during development can prevent the movement of native animals, while creating \u201chighways\u201d for <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/epdf\/10.1046\/j.1466-822x.1998.00308.x\">weeds, pests and diseases<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>These affect native ecosystems as well as farms and orchards, adding to the country\u2019s already very high <a href=\"https:\/\/peerj.com\/articles\/13580\/#\">pest management bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>Taken together, the potential long-term costs on ecosystems and the vital services they provide need to be carefully considered before the proposed legislation comes into force.<\/p>\n<div class=\"EmptyMessage\">Block content is empty. Check the block&#8217;s settings or remove it.<\/div>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/margaret-stanley-193048\">Margaret Stanley<\/a>, Professor of Ecology, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-auckland-waipapa-taumata-rau-1305\">University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/5-reasons-why-the-fast-track-approvals-bill-threatens-nzs-already-fragile-ecosystems-227888\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"has-beige-100-background-color has-background has-medium-font-size\">This article\u00a0is a guest post and doesn&#8217;t necessarily represent the views of Greenpeace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Conservation \u201cgood news\u201d stories \u2013 the release of native birds into new habitats, for example \u2013 are always welcome. They recognise the work of conservation staff and volunteers who do&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":62889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_planet4_optimize_post_is_variant":false,"_planet4_optimize_experiment_name":"","_planet4_optimize_variant_name":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[41,111],"p4-page-type":[6],"class_list":["post-63295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-greenpeace","tag-biodiversity","tag-fast-track-approvals","p4-page-type-story"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.8 (Yoast SEO v26.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>5 ways the Fast-track Approvals Bill threatens NZ\u2019s already fragile\u00a0ecosystems<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/5-ways-the-fast-track-approvals-bill-threatens-nzs-already-fragile-ecosystems\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 ways the Fast-track Approvals Bill threatens NZ\u2019s already fragile\u00a0ecosystems\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Conservation \u201cgood news\u201d stories \u2013 the release of native birds into new habitats, for example \u2013 are always welcome. They recognise the work of conservation staff and volunteers who do&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/5-ways-the-fast-track-approvals-bill-threatens-nzs-already-fragile-ecosystems\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Greenpeace Aotearoa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/greenpeace.nz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-04-19T04:49:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-20T01:30:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2024\/03\/ceb50dbb-ashburtonriver.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1050\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nick Young\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" 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