The submission, written by council principal policy adviser Luke Place and strategy and policy general manager Michelle Morss, was discussed at a council meeting on Thursday. It is due to be before the Environment Select Committee next week.
The fast-track Bill will establish stand-alone fast-track legislation, providing all approvals necessary to progress major infrastructure, housing and development projects.
It removes the need for public notification and hearings and gives final decision-making to a small group of "joint ministers".
The council said in its submissions the fast-track Bill did not provide the checks and balances necessary to ensure high-quality social, economic, cultural and environmental outcomes. It stressed the need for a more nuanced assessment process which balanced benefits with costs and effects of projects.
All councillors present voted in support of the submission; some strong disapproval of the Bill was also offered by councillors.
Deputy Mayor Quentin Smith, of Wānaka, said the Bill was the worst piece of legislation that had been put to the government in decades, calling it "Trumpian in nature".
"I am aware of at least 10 potential fast-track applications that would affect our district, some which have been defeated multiple times in the existing process.’
Cr Esther Whitehead, of Queenstown, said while the Bill touched on some climate obligations, it missed considerate climate mitigation, and international obligations around it.
Cr Smith thought the language in the submission was not strong enough.
In response, Ms Morss said that over eight years, the submission was one of the hardest submissions to land a collective decision on.
"We tried our best to walk a line which was clearly disapproving but was also relatively measured. "
