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An agreement on policy issues in the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill has been reached between National and the Māori Party, which will enable the Bill to pass its second and third readings, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

A creek that feeds into the Waimea Estuary is to be cleaned up thanks to a Government grant, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The $67,000 Community Environment Fund grant will be used to restore the water quality of Neimann Creek in Appleby, which runs adjacent to the Waimea River.

It is one of two small, spring-fed creeks which enter the estuary either side of the Waimea River and is home to native wildlife and fish, including high populations of inanga and eels. The quality is affected by high nitrate levels and sedimentation.  

People using fireworks this Guy Fawkes’ weekend need to take care, follow instructions and keep them a safe distance from pets and livestock, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“I encourage people to enjoy fireworks but also to take care. The golden rules are follow the instructions on the packaging, keep them a safe distance from pets and livestock, and avoid areas of fire risk,” says Dr Smith, who is the Minister responsible for fireworks regulation under the hazardous substances law.

The Government has signed off on a National Policy to ensure councils in rapidly growing urban areas provide enough land for new housing and business development, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith has welcomed a report released today on the challenges facing our marine environment, jointly published by the Ministry for the Environment and Statistics New Zealand.

An iwi-led programme to improve the Manawatū River is the latest waterways project to receive funding through the Government’s Te Mana o Te Wai Fund, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox announced today.

“The Government is committed to improving the quality of New Zealand’s freshwater bodies, including through grants such as this $534,000 towards Rangitāne o Tamaki Nui a Rua’s $814,000 Tū te Manawa project,” Dr Smith says.

Labour MP Megan Woods is behind the eight-ball with her Bill which would send Cantabrians to the polls for a second time in less than a year, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Government today launched in Wellington a scheme to recycle soft plastics such as shopping bags as part of a national partnership with the retail sector and packaging industry.

Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Associate Minister of Local Government Louise Upston today announced the appointment of six members to Environment Canterbury, to complement the seven members elected in the recent local authority elections.

The appointed members are: David Bedford, Hon David Caygill CNZM, Iaean Cranwell, Elizabeth Cunningham JP, Thomas Lambie ONZM and Professor Peter Skelton CNZM.

An amendment to the Montreal Protocol which phases down the use of harmful greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning is being welcomed by Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith.

“New Zealand advocated for an ambitious change to the Montreal Protocol at the meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, this week. The resulting amendment will have significant environmental benefits by phasing down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),” Dr Smith says.

HFCs can have a global warming effect up to 15,000 times greater than carbon dioxide.

New Zealand is part of a global push to reduce the use of synthetic industrial gases that contribute to global warming, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith said today in returning from chairing the OECD Environment Ministers’ meeting in Paris.

Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith leaves today for Paris, where he will this week be chairing the fourth yearly OECD meeting of Environment Ministers.

“Environmental issues transcend national borders and require strong international cooperation. The major issues for discussion include water, climate change, biodiversity, air pollution, waste and resource use efficiency. Specific international issues will be the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The Government is disappointed it has been unable to reach agreement with Maori fisheries trust Te Ohu Kaimoana (TOKM) on the Kermadec/Rangitahua Ocean Sanctuary, despite lengthy negotiations, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Government is consulting on changes to the National Environmental Standard on Contaminated Soils (NESCS) to make it more workable and to remove unnecessary costs for land development, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“We do need a system for identifying sites that have had previous uses that may pose a health risk but we also need to ensure we are not adding disproportionate costs and delays on new developments, such as housing.”

The Rangitīkei Awa is the latest waterway to get a funding boost from the Government to improve its water quality, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Māori Party Co-leaders Te Ururoa Flavell and Marama Fox announced today.

“This $700,000 grant will go towards an $800,000 project which includes restoration of the Rangitīkei Awa and catchment by improving water quality, fish habitat and riparian health at sites which are important to the Ngā Pae o Rangitīkei collective,” Dr Smith says.

The Government intends to review the appropriateness of councils being involved in regulating Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), prompted by advice over a liver cancer treatment trial in Auckland, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“A trial for liver cancer vaccine Pexa-Vec is being conducted at Auckland Hospital which involves a GMO. The new Auckland Unitary Plan prohibits the release of any GMO and would not allow any such future medical treatments,” Dr Smith says.

Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Māori Party Co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell have today announced funding of $320,000 for the restoration of two Far North dune lakes and a wetland.

“Lake Wahakari, the Waiparera Wetland and the Rotoroa/Split lakes are all of ecological significance and are currently at risk from various land use activities,” Dr Smith says.

Thank you for the privilege of giving this 2016 Lincoln Environment lecture. I’d like to acknowledge Lincoln University Chancellor Tony Hall distinguished guests, fellow MPs, and the Centre for Nature Conservation staff who are hosting us tonight.

A new contract to support Enviroschools for the next six years and a new Strategy for Environmental Education for Sustainability were announced today by Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Associate Minister of Conservation Nicky Wagner.

“Education is a powerful, long-term tool for improving how we care for the environment. If people feel connected to nature and understand the problems of species loss, water pollution, waste and climate change, they will make better choices during their lifetime,” Dr Smith says.

New regulations are being proposed to better enable space rocket launches from New Zealand by simplifying the process for dealing with jettisoned material deposited on the seabed in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today.

Auckland Council’s notification today of its new Unitary Plan is an historic step in enabling New Zealand’s largest city to better grow and prosper, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

The Government is welcoming Auckland Council’s passing of the new Unitary Plan, which is a key component of the long-term solution to the city’s housing challenges, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.

“This plan eases zoning regulations and the more than 400,000 properties it allows for is about double that of the plan which was notified by the council in 2013.

Gisborne’s Uawa River and estuary will get a clean-up with funding of $500,000 from the Te Mana o Te Wai fund, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox announced today.

“The Government is committed to working with local communities, councils and iwi to improve water quality in our waterways. This funding will support fencing, planting, pest control and sustainable farm management practices in the Uawa catchment so as to improve water quality in the river and estuary,” Dr Smith says.

A new collaborative group involving environmental and landowner organisations has come together to improve national policy on protecting nature on private land, Environment Minister Nick Smith announced today at the Environmental Defence Society’s ‘Wild Places’ conference in Auckland.