Parliament speeches were briefly halted on Tuesday due to a protest from the public gallery. Protesters shouted “this bill kills” and unfurled a banner, before Assistant Speaker Greg O’Connor ordered they be removed.
One of the protesters, Adam Currie from 350 Aotearoa, said communities across the country would continue to fight against projects – especially mines on conservation land.
“It doesn’t matter if the bill passes today, because we’re going to be there to stop them, and communities are going to be there to stop them, all across the country. They have no social license to operate.”
VIDEO CREDIT: Chino Barrett-Lovie
Disaster Waiting to Happen
Green Party environment spokesperson Lan Pham said the law was an “unexpected and unwanted Merry Christmas to Aotearoa”.
“It’s been really clear from the start that the public didn’t want and still don’t want this bill,” she said.
“If they knew the places in communities that would be put at serious risk by these projects, they would not be passing this bill.”
She said the Waimate waste-to-energy plant was a “disaster waiting to happen” as such plants had harmful effects to people overseas ‒ and the community did not want it.
“And yet, under fast-track, here is a pathway to allow this project to happen.”