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Part A: Introduction and Highlights
Introduction
The Ministry for the Environment works with others to identify New Zealand's environmental problems and get action on solutions. Our focus is on the effects people's everyday activities have on the environment, so our work programmes deal with aspects of both the natural world and the places where people live and work.
We advise the Government on New Zealand's environmental laws, policies, standards and guidelines, monitor how they are working in practice, and take any action needed to improve them. This includes making sure that the Treaty of Waitangi is taken into account in environmental management. Through reporting on the state of our environment, we help raise community awareness and provide the information needed by decision makers. We also play our part in international action on global environmental issues.
On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, who has duties under various laws, we report on local government performance on environmental matters and on the work of the Environmental Risk Management Authority.
We provide an environmental viewpoint on government policies such as Treaty of Waitangi settlements, and the energy sector and transport sector reforms. This includes working with other government agencies on matters such as biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, marine environmental issues and the relationship between trade and environmental issues. We work closely with local government, which is responsible for day-to-day environmental management. Other regular contacts are with iwi, business organisations, professional associations, environmental groups, and Crown research institutions.
Over the coming year we will focus in particular on implementing the Government's decisions on genetic modification and aquaculture, getting action on the New Zealand waste strategy, sustaining biodiversity on private land, improving water management, and continuing to improve resource management processes.
Key Result Areas
The Ministry's priorities are aimed at achieving the Government's goal to:
Treasure and nurture our environment with protection for ecosystems so that New Zealand maintains a clean, green environment and rebuilds our reputation as a world leader in environmental issues.
The Ministry's work falls into three broad categories:
- developing and maintaining sound foundations for effective environmental management, such as laws and information about the environment
- working with others to develop and implement practical tools that will assist councils, resource managers and others in managing our environment
- promoting wider understanding of environmental issues and action on solutions.
Genetic Modification
In October 2001 the Government announced its decisions on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification. These included putting in place a two-year constraint on general releases into the environment of genetically modified organisms, introducing additional safety standards for contained field tests of genetically modified organisms, and setting up a Bioethics Council.
The Ministry for the Environment is co-ordinating the interdepartmental work to give effect to the Government's decisions. This work includes changes to laws, including the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act, development of a biotechnology strategy, and research on particular matters recommended by the Royal Commission. We will be advising on the formation of the Bioethics Council and developing the necessary amendments to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act. At the same time we will continue to make factual information available to the public on how genetic modification is used and controlled in New Zealand.
Biodiversity
New Zealand's Biodiversity Strategy, adopted by the Government in 2001, aims to halt the long-term decline in our land, freshwater and marine biodiversity. The Ministry is working with other government agencies, especially the Department of Conservation and Ministry of Fisheries, to help achieve the goals of the strategy. Our work is focused particularly on effectively managing biodiversity on private land, regional marine biodiversity and aquaculture. We also contribute to the development of oceans policy and management of biosecurity.
By June 2003 we expect to complete development of a proposed national policy statement under the Resource Management Act on indigenous biodiversity. We are also assisting local government to increase their role in managing biodiversity, as well as helping to support landowners. In the marine environment, we plan to progress at least three regional case studies, which will encourage co-ordination, information sharing and involvement of the community. This complements the Ministry's work to improve the management of aquaculture, including providing support and guidance to regional councils (see Resource Management section).
Water and Land and Air Management
Though management of land and water has improved, New Zealand still faces major challenges in dealing with the effects of agricultural run-off and urban stormwater on our streams, rivers, lakes and harbours. Allocation of water among competing demands such as irrigation, recreational use and maintaining aquatic ecosystems is a growing issue in dry areas.
Allocating water fairly, effectively and efficiently among all the competing interests is a growing issue for councils in dry areas of the country. We will be working closely with councils to investigate alternative ways to allocate water, providing guidance for councils, and clarifying the roles and responsibilities of central and local government.
We will continue to work closely with councils and the agricultural sector to reduce the impact of agriculture on streams, rivers and lakes. We will also be looking at the pressures on New Zealand lakes, along with assisting in the development of a sustainable management regime for Lake Taupo.
This year is the second of a three-year project to update New Zealand's Landcover Database, which provides up to date information for land, water and biodiversity managers, and for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and sinks.
In some urban areas of New Zealand, motor vehicles and home heating can seriously pollute the air at times. We provide national policies and guidance to assist councils in managing air quality in their region, and also work to improve people's understanding of the causes of air pollution.
Waste Minimisation and Pollution Management
New Zealand needs to improve its current management of waste and hazards and to clean up the legacy of pollution from the practices of the past. The Ministry and Local Government New Zealand have developed the New Zealand Waste Strategy, which was adopted by the Government in February 2002.
The strategy, which covers solid, liquid and gaseous waste, sets national targets for waste minimisation, managing hazardous wastes, and waste disposal. Work is now under way to encourage effective local government planning for waste minimisation and management, promote waste reduction and materials efficiency, and achieve high standards of performance in waste treatment and disposal facilities.
We will be putting in place a comprehensive programme including standards and guidelines on minimisation, management and disposal of wastes (including those with hazardous properties). Following consultation on pesticide risk reduction, we will develop programmes to encourage improved management of agricultural chemicals. The first national environmental standard, which will control dioxin emissions to air, will be completed and further standards and guidelines covering other dioxin discharges to the environment will be started. We will also be investigating the dioxin emissions being generated by some industrial processes.
New Zealand has a legacy of land contaminated in the past by the ways we used and disposed of chemicals and waste. We have a continuing programme to guide clean up of these sites, which this year will focus mainly on contaminated sawmill sites, sheep dips, and horticultural soils. We administer funding to assist clean up of some heavily polluted sites - the clean up at Mapua, near Nelson, will be largely completed and the proposed clean up at Tui mine will be investigated and costed. Other smaller contaminated sites will be investigated as they are identified.
Sustainable Development
The Ministry for the Environment is working in partnership with other government agencies and Local Government New Zealand on New Zealand's approach to sustainable development. In August 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable Development will bring together world leaders in Johannesburg, South Africa, to consider global progress with environment and development and priorities for the future. Along with other countries, New Zealand will report on the progress we have made since the Earth Summit in 1992 and our priorities for the future.
One focus of our work is to identify a small set of environmental indicators to feed into a report on sustainable development that is being co-ordinated by Statistics New Zealand. We recently published a report comparing different measures of sustainability in use around the world, and are now in the process of confirming a small set of 'headline' environmental indicators that we will report on annually. We are also continuing work with Statistics New Zealand to develop and refine natural environmental accounts for New Zealand.
Businesses and public sector agencies which assess their environmental, economic and social/cultural performance are able to decide where to focus their attention in an effort to become more sustainable. Over the past year we have been promoting 'triple bottom line' reporting in the private sector, and are now encouraging central and local government agencies to get involved. The Ministry for the Environment will be part of the public sector pilot project.
Climate Change and Energy
The major elements of New Zealand's Climate Change Programme are now led from the new Climate Change Project team in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Most of our climate change staff have been temporarily transferred to this team, along with the baseline funding for 2001/02 to carry out the work previously part of the Ministry's responsibility. This includes domestic and international policy, communications and consultation, science coordination, the ongoing development of national inventory and registry systems, and compiling New Zealand's annual emissions inventory.
One major programme, implementing the carbon monitoring system for indigenous forests and soils, has remained with us.
The Ministry continues to work with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Transport on initiatives to improve New Zealand's energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Promoting Environmental Awareness and Action
Information and Education
Research shows that New Zealanders are concerned that our environment is not as clean and healthy as they would like it to be. However, people need a greater understanding of how human activities affect the environment and how they can play a part in resolving the problems.
The Ministry continues to develop printed and website information to help improve public understanding. We are reviewing options for long-term public awareness programmes and supporting the Auckland Regional Council's Big Clean Up campaign. In doing so, we are looking at how a similar campaign might be run on a national scale. Public information and guidance is also being developed as part of work programmes on resource management and genetic modification.
We continue to work with other sectors, especially local government, to encourage co-operation in environmental education and sharing of resources. We are also contributing to Ministry of Education work on promoting the environmental education guidelines for schools.
The Sir Peter Blake Memorial Trust
The Government has set aside funds for a Memorial Trust to commemorate and continue the environmental education work of Sir Peter Blake.
Supporting Environmental Initiatives
The Ministry provides practical support for environmental initiatives by other organisations through the Sustainable Management Fund, grants for environment centres, and grants for services and projects that help educate people about resource management.
Through the Sustainable Management Fund we support the community, industry, iwi and local government in a wide range of practical initiatives to support environmental management. Since 1994, $38 million has been allocated to support 383 projects.
We also provide grants to community groups and organisations for resource management education and advisory services. The aim is to increase public access to community-based legal advice and information about environmental laws, particularly the Resource Management Act.
The Foundations of Environmental Management
Controls on Hazardous Substances and New Organisms
The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act came into force for hazardous substances in July 2001. The Environmental Risk Management Authority is now making decisions on applications to import or manufacture new hazardous substances and continuing the process of transferring existing substances to the new law. We will continue our work to ensure that the new system for managing hazardous substances under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act is working effectively.
The new organisms aspects of the Act have been in force since July 1998. Work on these aspects of the law is mainly connected with genetic modification and was outlined in the key result areas section on page 6.
Resource Management
There are three key elements in our efforts to ensure that New Zealand's resource management legislation works efficiently and is effective in protecting our environment:
- encouraging good practice by councils, iwi and resource users
- improving public understanding of the Resource Management Act and encouraging their participation in resource management processes
- monitoring how the Act is working, advising on amendments, and investigating other options to improve the framework for environmental management in New Zealand.
By June 2003, we plan to provide guidance and education for councils on monitoring the effectiveness of district and regional plans, using designation provisions, making best use of iwi management plans, and protecting waahi tapu. We will maintain and expand the website which shares good practice information in planning.
We are also seeking to respond to the concerns raised by the Business Compliance Cost Panel that the Resource Management Act imposes significant compliance costs on business. Through the Government's response to the recommendations of this panel, the Ministry has been funded to undertake nine projects over two years related directly to processes under the Act.
The Ministry conducts a regular survey of local authorities that monitors how councils are undertaking their Resource Management Act processes. These have previously been reported on annually, but are now being undertaken on a two-year cycle. The next report is due in late 2002.
To support public understanding, we will produce simple information on the resource consent process and work with teachers to develop a resource management-planning component for Year 13 geography students.
Aquaculture Reform
The amendments to the Resource Management Act as part of the aquaculture reforms have introduced a new regime. The Ministry has a key role to play in supporting regional councils to manage aquaculture planning. Central government needs to be well co-ordinated in providing specialist information and best practice advice. The Ministry will be using its close working partnerships with regional councils, the Ministry of Fisheries and the Department of Conservation to achieve this.
Monitoring the State of the Environment
The Ministry aims to report regularly on the state of our environment using a widely accepted set of indicators. Our programme builds, wherever possible, on existing monitoring by councils, iwi, government agencies and Crown research institutes. We are in the final stages of agreeing a memorandum of understanding with regional councils that will set up an ongoing partnering relationship for indicator development and monitoring. We are testing this framework using air quality indicators as the first of a series of schedules to which councils will be bound.
The Land Environments New Zealand Classification is nearing completion. This will provide the base information for all land indicators and is a key step in achieving consistency in monitoring frameworks across the country.
We will confirm any outstanding core indicators during the new financial year and identify a priority set for implementation. We expect to be reporting through our website on all active indicators by June 2003. At the same time we plan to report more comprehensively on specific issues. The first report will examine trends in the quality of river water in New Zealand.
International Agreements
Many environmental issues are influenced by international agreements, protocols and discussions. The Ministry will continue to monitor international discussions and debate on environmental issues and ensure that New Zealand contributes effectively to that debate.
The Ministry will continue to ensure that New Zealand sets an example in reducing the damaging effects of ozone-depleting substances. In particular, we will be working towards phasing out methyl bromide as substitutes become available.
We expect to make a significant contribution to the work of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the next three years following the launch of a new round of trade talks in November 2001. The round includes negotiations on the relationship between WTO rules and trade-related provisions in multilateral environmental agreements, as well as discussions on issues such as environmental labelling and the environmental effects of subsidies for agriculture and fishing.
