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New Zealand’s most fertile and versatile land will be given new protection under proposals released today by Environment Minister David Parker and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. 

“The recently released papers by the Royal Society Te Apārangi note there are considerable benefits that gene editing can bring to our lives, particularly in health,” Environment Minister David Parker said.

As the clean-up of the Fox River draws to a close the Minister of Conservation and Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage is thanking volunteers and government agencies involved in the massive clean-up since the Government stepped in to unify efforts.

The Government has today announced the next step in its plan to clean up our rivers and lakes by supporting community-led programmes, delivering on the Wellbeing Budget’s investment to clean up our waterways.

The Government is proposing a new way to deal with environmentally harmful products before they become waste, including plastic packing and bottles, as part of a wider plan to reduce the amount of rubbish ending up in landfills.

The Government is set on restoring the dawn chorus and giving nature more of a helping hand, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Associate Minister for the Environment Nanaia Mahuta said today as they launched a new action plan for biodiversity in Wellington this morning.

The Government is moving to cut the complexity involved with re-consenting existing marine farms by creating a consistent set of rules across the country. 

The Government has today launched a comprehensive overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA) to cut complexity and costs and better enable urban development, while also improving protection of the environment.

As part of the plan to turn around New Zealand’s mounting waste problem, the Government is investing in research to reduce the impact of plastics, improve knowledge about composting, and reduce product labelling waste, the Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage announced in Rotorua today.

Tauranga City Council and the Ministry for the Environment stepped in at short notice to support kerbside glass collection in Tauranga after private kerbside glass collection services were withdrawn in March 2018.

The Government has renewed the accreditation of a product stewardship scheme which has been preventing environmental harm by reducing the potential for illegal or unsafe discharges of used oil.

Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announced a significant investment in a new plant to create New Zealand’s first 100% recycled plastic food packaging range as part of the wider plan to tackle the plastic pollution challenge.

Significant progress is being made on cleaning up rubbish eroded from the Fox River landfill since the Department of Conservation (DOC) took over management of the clean-up on 19 June says Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage

Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announced more support for Wanaka Wastebusters to get more people involved in reducing waste.

The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will invest in projects to tackle waste in New Zealand, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage have announced today.

The ban on single-use plastic shopping bags, which takes effect on 1 July, is a step towards healthier oceans and giving nature a hand, says Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage.

The Minister of Conservation and Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage says that the Department of Conservation (DOC) will replace Westland District Council (WDC) as the lead agency coordinating the clean-up of the riverbed and coast downstream of the Council’s Fox River landfill.

Today’s World Oceans’ Day announcement that eleven Foodstuffs Co-operative supermarkets will retro-fit litter traps in their stormwater drains was welcomed by Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage.

Wellington waterways will now have more helping hands thanks to a grant to support young people to help look after them, Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage said today.

Environment Minister David Parker has today announced Government funding to help iwi in Whanganui, Gisborne and Omapere improve the health of their local waterways. 

​​​​​​​The Wellbeing Budget provides opportunities to grow and modernise New Zealand’s economy while ensuring a just transition to a low emissions future. We need to preserve and enhance our environment, as part of the foundation for our long-term wellbeing.

The Government is delivering on its plan to turn around New Zealand’s rubbish record on waste with the opening of a new facility today to recycle e-waste like old computers, Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage announced today.

Today the Government announced another part of its plan to help turn around New Zealand’s rubbish record on waste.

The Government has announced an extra $400,000 to help West Coasters recover from the devastating March floods. A medium-scale adverse event in the Westland District has also now been declared.