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February 2021The New Zealand wastewater sector report documents the challenges facing the wastewater sector in New Zealand. It describes the wastewater’s regulatory and service delivery elements, and examines issues affecting the sector. Read more -
August 2020The New Zealand Threat Classification System provides a tool for assigning a threat status to candidate taxa. Read more -
June 2001This report is a step-by step guide to preparing emission inventories in New Zealand. It contains information on the purpose, process, methodology and application of emission inventory investigations. Read more -
February 2017This report provides a classification of coastal hydrosystems within New Zealand, including some offshore islands. Read more -
June 2007This plain English brochure contains information about PM10 air pollution and how it is monitored, and the national environment standards for air quality. Read more -
February 2019This review was carried out to improve understanding of marine habitats in New Zealand. Read more -
June 2002Information for lake managers on on native and exotic fish populations in substantial lakes and reservoirs. Read more -
August 2008In 2004, the Government decided to review flood risk management to ensure the framework was robust. The Ministry for the Environment led the review, and a Steering Group provided direction and guidance. This report presents the review's findings. Read more -
March 2011This New Zealand Domestic Solid Fuel Burner Authorisation Manual provides details of the national authorisation procedures required for the sale of compliant domestic solid fuel burning appliances. Read more -
August 2020This guidance document sets out recommended practice for the design of instream infrastructure to provide for fish passage and to set the foundation for the improvement of fish passage management in New Zealand. Read more -
August 2018These guidelines provide water managers with tools and guidance to assess, manage and monitor the water quality. They complement the existing National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (Freshwater NPS) which is the main direction to local government about how to manage fresh water in New Zealand. Read more -
December 2009These guidelines provide advice on how public health risk associated with cyanobacteria in recreational waters can be managed. Read more -
September 2001Report on consultation undertaken in 2001 by the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Oceans Policy. Read more -
March 2000This protocol specifies a cost-effective method to determine the trophic levels of lakes, and changes in these levels over time. Read more -
December 2006This document provides a step-by-step protocol for the collection of groundwater samples in New Zealand. Read more -
February 2017This report reviews the original report, 'Strategic assessment of New Zealand’s freshwaters for recreational use: a human health perspective'. Read more -
August 2001This guide provides guidance on the benefits of clear visibility, the contaminants and factors affecting visibility, suitable monitoring methods, potential indicators of visibility degradation, and how emissions causing visibility can be managed in New Zealand. Read more -
April 2018The Ministry for the Environment, Department of Conservation, and the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge co-funded research to look at contemporary losses of wetland extent in New Zealand. This report provides recommendations and a suggested path forward to improve our ability to monitor and report on national wetland extent. Read more -
August 2007The Ministry released this discussion paper on 1 August 2007. The paper proposed establishing new legislation to fill key gaps in the environmental regulation of New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and promoted a consistent approach to environmental management. Read more -
April 2020In 2018, the Ministry asked Deloitte to consider the extent of water bottling in Aotearoa New Zealand NZ and the economic value of water bottling for water bottlers and communities. This report presents their findings. Read more -
December 2019This guide provides information for people who import, manufacture, or sell products covered by New Zealand’s Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS). Read more -
December 2007This document provides a summary of the submissions received in response to the discussion paper, Improving Regulation of Environmental Effects in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone, released by the Ministry in 2007. Read more -
November 2006This 2006 discussion paper draws together the measures that make up New Zealand’s contaminated land policy framework, and evaluates them to identify any gaps and possible solutions/improvements to the existing framework. Read more -
April 2004This document provides interim guidance on ‘functional’ indicators of ecosystem processes, such as ecosystem metabolism Read more -
September 2007This report contains a summary of the submissions received on the discussion paper Working Towards a Comprehensive Policy Framework for Managing Contaminated Land in New Zealand – Discussion paper. Read more -
April 2011This guideline has been developed through a partnership between the Ministry for the Environment, regional councils and unitary authorities to ensure consistency in the reporting on contaminated sites. Read more -
July 2001This publication provides background information about the sources, causes and processes involved with the deterioration of streams in farmed catchments and the consequences of that deterioration. Read more -
September 2016This draft revised guideline has been released to assist understanding of the proposed amendments to the National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil to Protect Human Health. The final revised guideline will be gazetted in early 2017. Read more -
July 2020The Government intends to ratify the Minamata Convention on Mercury and is proposing to introduce a new set of regulations to do so. We are seeking your views on the Government’s proposals and the impacts of the proposed controls on New Zealand. Read more -
September 2020An evaluation report and compilation spreadsheet of available tools, databases and resources relating to the distribution of threatened freshwater species and their habitats in New Zealand. Read more -
November 2003The Ministry and local government developed these guidelines to ensure the consistent selection and application of the environmental guideline values most commonly used in contaminated site assessments in New Zealand. Read more -
December 2018Ministry for the Environment, in partnership with Bay of Plenty Regional Council, commissioned a literature review to get an accessible summary of relevant research carried out in New Zealand on methods to manage sediment and their economic assessment. Read more -
August 2011The National Air Quality Compliance Strategy sets out the practices regional councils could adopt to meet the air quality standard for PM₁₀ (particulate matter less than 10 micrometres) and thereby deliver clean healthy air for all New Zealanders. Read more -
May 2018This report outlines the establishment of reference conditions and trigger values. Reference conditions are defined as the chemical, physical or biological conditions that can be expected in streams and rivers with minimal or no anthropogenic influence. Read more -
January 2016This consultation document sets out the Government’s proposal for a new approach to marine protection in New Zealand. The submission period has now closed. Read more -
December 2013In 2013, the Government sought feedback on an exposure draft of the proposed exploratory drilling for oil and gas regulations under the EEZ Act. This document provided supporting information for the consultation. Consultation closed 31 January 2014. Read more -
March 2014This document summarises the submissions received on the exposure draft of regulations for exploration drilling for oil and gas under the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 and presents the main issues and themes raised. Read more -
September 2020This document provides detailed technical guidance about the new freshwater planning process (FPP) introduced by the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020. Read more -
October 2018This document captures areas of shared interest in water quality and ecosystem health improvements and defines how the Crown and Māori will work together to make improvements to New Zealand’s freshwater. Read more -
September 2001This document summaries submissions received on the revised and new ambient air quality guidelines. Read more -
July 2018In 2017, the Government strengthened the regulatory framework for the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas structures and pipelines in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This includes a new requirement for operators to provide a decommissioning plan before applying for a decommissioning-related marine consent. Read more -
August 2013This discussion document sought feedback on the Government’s proposals for regulating exploratory drilling for oil and gas, discharges of harmful substances, and dumping of waste in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Submissions closed on 25 September 2013. Read more -
May 2012This discussion document sought feedback on proposed regulations for managing the environmental effects in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf. Submissions on the discussion document have now closed. Read more -
December 2004This discussion document outlines the different ways in which New Zealanders value and use freshwater. It also looks at how New Zealand’s water is managed and the pressures and challenges facing our water management system. Read more -
June 2002Information for lake managers on pest fish and weeds in New Zealand lakes. Read more -
June 2001The Soil Conservation Handbook is a comprehensive collection of information about soil conservation in New Zealand. Part A covers the forms and processes of the main types of erosion in New Zealand while Part B describes the control techniques. Read more -
October 2018This document sets out the Government’s plan to restore and protect freshwater in New Zealand. Read more -
November 2001This protocol identifies and describes standardised protocols for use by agencies throughout New Zealand for macroinvertebrate biomonitoring. Read more -
October 2018This document describes a framework for assessing the biophysical ecosystem health of fresh water in Aotearoa New Zealand. Read more -
April 2009This document provides best practice guidance on ambient (outdoor) air quality monitoring and data management in New Zealand. Read more