10. Question No. 10—RMA ReformHon RACHEL BROOKING (Labour—Dunedin) to the Minister responsible for RMA ReformQuestion No. 10—RMA Reform10. Hon RACHEL BROOKING (Labour—Dunedin) to the Minister responsible for RMA Reform: Does he stand by all his statements and actions?Hon CHRIS BISHOP (Minister responsible for RMA Reform): Yes.Hon Rachel Brooking: Why should economic Ministers decide what is worthy of proceeding rather than an expert panel as suggested in the new fast-tracking legislation?Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Because the whole purpose of the fast-track consenting regime that we are introducing is to fast track economic development projects.Hon Rachel Brooking: Will the projects yet to be included in Schedule 2A and 2B of the proposed bill be referred to select committee for scrutiny including the ability for the public to submit?Hon CHRIS BISHOP: No that's not the intention. Instead what we're doing is running a process that is independent of the Government. Recommendations will come to Ministers; the projects will then be inserted into the bill by an Amendment Paper—or it used to be called a Supplementary Order Paper. There will be plenty of opportunities for the public to engage on that and I look forward to that.Hon Rachel Brooking: How will the public be able to engage in the process he just referred to?Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Well it's a public democratic process. People who are keen on having the projects inserted into the bill will be able to submit them to the expert panel that we're setting up to consider those projects.Hon Rachel Brooking: Why is the Minister for the Environment not involved in the decision-making process when the Ministers of infrastructure regional development and transport are?Hon CHRIS BISHOP: Because as I say this is a one-stop shop fast-track consenting regime specifically designed to accelerate infrastructure housing transport aquaculture mining the extractive industries—all of the things that New Zealand needs more of rather than less of. The relevant environmental considerations are best handled by the expert panel. They're the experts for it. They're going to be asked to apply the relevant environmental permits and conditions to it and then those decisions will come back through the process for Ministers to either approve or decline. It's not actually wildly dissimilar to the COVID-19 fast-track legislation set up by the previous Government. We've actually modelled the new law on the old regime introduced by the last Labour Government. We thought it was such a good idea we've taken it the next step further elevated it up a bit and gone for national and regionally significant projects. I thank the former Minister and the former Minister for the Environment for the idea.SPEAKER: That's good. Just keep those answers fairly succinct.Hon Simeon Brown: Is the Minister aware of any work done by the prior Government to put forward legislation for exceptions to the Otago regional water plan National Policy Statement—SPEAKER: No no—stop there.Hon Simeon Brown: —for Freshwater Management and Public Works Act in regards to Lake Onslow?SPEAKER: Sorry when I say stop there if members don't then their time in the House will not be very long at all.