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The Government has today progressed its resource management reform agenda with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act passing its first reading.  

Submissions will be accepted up to two weeks after the official October 17 deadline for submitting on the Government’s freshwater discussion document, Environment Minister David Parker said today. 

Public meetings will be held in more than 20 places over the next three weeks, to provide information and seek feedback on reforms to the way we manage our freshwater, elite soils, urban environment, waste and hazardous substances.

The Government is taking action to stop the degradation of our waterways and clean up our rivers and lakes within a generation.

An application from Westpower Ltd for concessions to construct and operate a run of river hydro-electric power scheme on the Waitaha River, near Hokitika, has been declined.  

A new approach to urban planning designed to allow our cities to make room for growth has today been released by Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford and Environment Minister David Parker.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

The Environment Aotearoa 2019 report released today shows why the Government’s plan to clean up our waterways and make New Zealand carbon-neutral is so crucial, Environment Minister David Parker said. 

The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will invest up to $18.5 million in water storage to unlock land use potential in the Mid North, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Economic Development Minister David Parker announced today.

Plans will be easier to prepare, use and understand under the Resource Management Act (RMA) with the release of new National Planning Standards. 

New Zealand will begin phasing down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) from 2020 as part of an international effort expected to avoid 0.5 degrees Celsius of global warming.

A two stage process to improve the resource management system was announced today by Environment Minister David Parker.

The Government today is announcing its next steps to improve the state of our waterways, promising a noticeable improvement in water quality within five years.

The Environment Court has today granted the resource consent for the 36th America's Cup bases in Auckland and the associated infrastructure and activities.

The Government is establishing a new group to broaden the conversation with Māori on freshwater.

New guidelines released today by Environment Minister David Parker are intended to assist councils in their monitoring, compliance and enforcement duties under the Resource Management Act. 

The Government will act immediately on some recommendations of the Land and Water Forum including prioritising action in the most “at-risk” catchments.