Thousands of people gathered in central Auckland have been told that they must say no to the Fast-track Approvals Bill.
The protesters – including former Green Party co-leader Russel Norman, Forest & Bird chief executive Nicola Toki and actress Robyn Malcolm – made their way down Queen Street as part of the March for Nature.
Photo: Rayssa Almeida
The bill will see three ministers in charge of deciding on whether major infrastructure or development projects should go ahead.
In a speech to the crowd gathered in Aotea Square, Toki addressed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
“This is your government, these are your ministers. Responsibility for this environmental nightmare rests with you.”
The former Green Party co-leader and Greenpeace executive director Russel Norman believes the bill will be bad for the environment.
Photo: Rayssa Almeida
“We must stop those who would destroy nature for profit.
“The vast majority of New Zealanders – nine out of 10 people, when you survey them – say they do not want development that causes more destruction of nature.”
Norman told the crowd in Aotea Square that the bill was worth fighting against.
Photo: Rayssa Almeida
“Expect resistance from the people of Aotearoa. There will be no seabed mining off the coast of Taranaki. There will be no new coal mines in pristine native forest.
“We will stop them – just like we stopped the oil exploration companies. We disrupted them until they gave up.”
The government would be on the wrong side of history if it ignored protesters, Norman said.
Photo: Rayssa Almeida
Protesters interviewed by RNZ said the bill was a “dumb” decision and would take New Zealand backwards.
“It’s putting … the decision making into [the hands of] just a couple of people, ” one said.
“It feels like this government’s taking us back to the 1950s. It’s just dumb on so many levels,” said another.
“It’s just old, archaic, dinosaur economics. It’s old thinking that got us into this problem that we’re in right now,” another protester told RNZ.
Pro-Palestinian protesters are also at the rally, with banners accusing the government of being complicit in genocide.
A march against the axing of thousands of state sector jobs is also being held in Wellington.
Read More: Thousands protest Fast-track Approvals Bill in central Auckland