Overview
Who we are
The Ministry for the Environment was established under the Environment Act 1986. It reports to the Minister for the Environment, the Minister of Energy and the Convenor of the Ministerial Group on Climate Change.
The Ministry is the Government's principal adviser on the New Zealand environment and on international matters that affect the environment. It provides leadership on the environment across central and local government. Day-to-day environmental management is largely the responsibility of regional councils and territorial authorities.
The Environment Act defines 'environment' very widely, including ecosystems, people and communities, and natural and physical resources. Therefore the Ministry's interests and responsibilities cover the natural environment, the built environment and how people behave towards the environment.
Statutory functions
The Ministry's functions under the Environment Act can be summarised as: [See Part 3: Other Information, for a transcript of the Environment Act 1986 Section 31; Functions of the Ministry.]
- to advise the Minister on all aspects of environmental administration
- to obtain information, and conduct and undertake research
- to advise the Government and its agencies on:
- environmental legislation
- assessment and monitoring of environmental impacts
- pollution management and control
- identification and reduction of natural hazards
- control of hazardous substances
- to assist in resolving conflict regarding policies and proposals that may affect the environment
- to provide and disseminate information and services
- to promote environmental policies, including education and mechanisms for promoting participation in environmental planning.
The Ministry also has specific functions under the:
- Resource Management Act 1991
- Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996
- Ozone Layer Protection Act 1996
- Climate Change Response Act 2002.
Vision, mission and values
Our vision is of:
- a healthy environment which sustains people and nature.
We see our mission as:
- delivering the environment that New Zealanders expect and deserve.
The values that are important to us in our work are to be:
- effective
- trusted
- influential.
Our role
The role of the Ministry for the Environment is to:
- provide leadership across government and the community on environment
- work in partnership with key sectors and organisations to improve our environment
- fix problems that require central government intervention
- ensure that New Zealand has good environmental governance.
We are only one player in delivering the environment that New Zealanders expect and deserve, though we have a central role in this. To achieve a clean, healthy environment and sustainable economic growth, New Zealand needs strong and consistent environmental governance at all levels. Laws and regulations by themselves will not produce a clean and healthy environment. By encouraging businesses and households to act more sustainably, we aim in the longer term to have an environment that is valued by 'four million careful owners'.
