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Thursday, October 10, 2024

David Farrar: The fast-track projects


Chris Bishop and Shane Jones announced:

The 149 projects released today for inclusion in the Government’s one-stop-shop Fast Track Approvals Bill will help rebuild the economy and fix our housing crisis, improve energy security, and address our infrastructure deficit, Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop says. …

“While the independent Advisory Group recommended to Ministers a total of 342 projects for inclusion in the Bill, Cabinet chose to include only 149 of them to better reflect the capacity from expert panels to assess and consent these projects,” Mr Bishop says.

Can you imagine the difference it will take if we get 149 projects consented within 12 months rather than eight years?

The 149 projects include:
  • Housing: 58 projects creating 55,000 new homes
  • Transport: 29 projects including 16 roads, 5 rail projects, 5 port projects and 3 public transport projects totally 180 kms of new transport routes
  • Renewable Electricity: 22 projects with combined capacity of 3 Gigawatts. We currently have 9.5 GW so that will increase our capacity by 30% – all renewable with a mixture of solar wind and hydro.
  • Mining 11
  • Quarrying 8
  • Aquaculture/Farming: 7 projects producing 143,000 tonnes per annum
The Government is going to need a lot of qualified lawyers and planners etc for the expert panels!

David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.

1 comment:

Basil Walker said...

22 fast track renewable electricity consents for 3 gigawatts of intermitent and non backload electricity that will require a similar amount of nuclear or thermal plants to give guarranteed electricity.
The transmission cost of 22 separate generators will be immense whereas modern clean burning refurbishment of Huntley would give the required permanent capacity at a cost of Huntley refurbishment only . NOT 22 separate renewable plants with a twenty year life and 22 separate transmission costs plus the required back up electricity costs as well. Just NUTS for a country without funds needing guarranteed electricity supply .