A protester wearing an oversized paper-mâché head caricaturing Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was spotted riding a wrecking ball on the back of a crane carrying truck in Auckland's CBD late this afternoon.
Miley Cyrus' hit-song Wrecking Ball played in the background as the stunt played out just outside TVNZ's Auckland office.
It comes days before an organised March for Nature protest over the Government's Fast Track Bill.
The demonstration was created by Greenpeace, who claimed that the Fast Track Bill means the Government has declared a "War on Nature".
Greenpeace executive director Russel Norman told 1News: "The fast track pass is a wrecking ball for everything we love in Aotearoa."
"The Government needs to pull the Fast Track Bill.
"[It means] three men in Wellington can give the green light to any project they like and that's why we will be marching this Saturday."
The Luxon impersonator will reportedly be seen around Auckland CBD over the next few days leading up to the protest.
In a statement Greenpeace said it is one of the organisations behind this Saturday's protest.
"The March for Nature is going to be big. People from across the political divide are appalled at the coalition Government’s reckless assault on environmental protection and horrified to see so much conservation land under threat again," Norman said.
"Many of us fought long and hard to stop mining on conservation land and to stop new oil and gas exploration permits... We stopped the John Key government mining schedule four conservation land... [And] the seabed mining industry getting a foothold here in Aotearoa. It’s been many years of work, by many people and groups, but we’ve gained critical protection for forests, oceans and fresh water.
"To see that all put at risk by the Fast Track Bill is disturbing I think Christopher Luxon has underestimated how deeply New Zealanders care about nature and about the democratic process."
Auckland City Police said they were not made aware of the stunt.
However, they recognise the right to peaceful protest and advise protesters not to create a safety risk to themselves or to members of the public in the course of their protest.
A 'one-stop-shop' regime
National agreed to establish a “fast-track one-stop-shop” consenting and permitting process as part of its coalition deal with NZ First.
This fast-track consent scheme would prioritise regionally and nationally significant infrastructure projects.
Christopher Luxon's office has been approached for comment on the upcoming protest.
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