Publication Search
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November 2010The Ministry engaged independent consultants to develop and test a way of quantifying the benefits of resource efficiency to the New Zealand economy. Read more
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October 2014This report provides recommendations for new sites to improve representativeness in the New Zealand river environmental monitoring network. Read more
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November 2010This report provides a national picture of current status (2005–2009) and trends in water quality of New Zealand lakes. It updates the 2006 report ‘A snapshot of lake water quality in New Zealand’. Read more
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July 2011This environment snapshot has been superseded by the October 2012 Recreational water quality in New Zealand indicator update and the 2013 Suitability for swimming indicator update. Read more
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The New Zealand Stream Health Monitoring and Assessment Kit (SHMAK) helps users collect consistent, scientifically valid information from small rural streams to make assessments of stream health. Read more
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December 2013The aim of a Composite River Condition Index for New Zealand is to combine a number of sub-indices to communicate a representative holistic picture of river condition. This report investigates three indices and discusses limitations and areas for improvement. Read more
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March 2007This report reported on progress against the 2002 New Zealand Waste Strategy’s 30 targets. The 2002 strategy has been replaced by the 2010 New Zealand Waste Strategy. Read more
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December 2013An assessment of the representativeness and statistical power of state of environment river monitoring sites across New Zealand. Read more
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July 2011This report presents information about consented cleanfills and landfills in New Zealand that are not subject to the Waste Disposal Levy. Read more
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July 2008The Ministry commissioned an independent review to obtain stakeholder feedback on the readability, content and overall usefulness of the Environment New Zealand 2007 report. Read more
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December 2009These guidelines provide advice on how public health risk associated with cyanobacteria in recreational waters can be managed. Read more
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March 2000This protocol specifies a cost-effective method to determine the trophic levels of lakes, and changes in these levels over time. Read more
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January 2008This report, commissioned by the Upper North Island Grid Upgrade Proposal Board of Inquiry includes key issues of the proposal, an overview of the notices of requirement and resource consent applications lodged, and an analysis of information provided by Transpower. Read more
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April 2006This report provides a case study of the agrecovery container recovery programme. Read more
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June 2000A background review of the structure and value of periphyton communities in streams, factors controlling growth and composition of periphyton, and the effects of human activities on the community. Read more
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March 2009This report summarises changes in fish communities in New Zealand rivers, including changes in relation to different land uses. Read more
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December 2006This document provides a step-by-step protocol for the collection of groundwater samples in New Zealand. Read more
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May 2006This report provides a case study of unused/unwanted paint and paint packaging recovery programmes in New Zealand. Read more
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December 2020This report translates the planetary boundaries framework to show New Zealand’s global environmental connections and quantifies where our country sits in terms of operating within environmentally safe boundaries. Read more
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October 2020This report assesses the suitability of using New Zealand Rural Fire Authority’s Fire Danger Rating System as an indicator on wildfire risk for the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ’s environmental reporting. Read more
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May 2001This guide aims to increase awareness of the risks associated with closed landfills and to outline the best practical methods to manage closed landfill sites effectively, so that adverse environmental effects are minimised. Read more
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July 2020This summary outlines the principal reasons which led to the review of the resource management system and the Resource Management Review Panel’s main recommendations in their report. Read more
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August 2020This document sets out the Government response to the report, Rethinking Plastics In Aotearoa New Zealand, produced by the office for the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor. Read more
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March 2009The discussion document sought feedback on policy proposed to implement the Waste Minimisation Act 2008. Submissions closed on 15 May 2009. Read more
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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
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October 2013The Ministry for the Environment commissioned ENVIRON Australia Pty Ltd, to investigate the practicalities of identifying, sorting and segregating plastics in the e-waste recycling industry, according to those components that contain banned brominated flame retardant (BFR) chemicals. Read more
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September 2007This paper sets out a prioritised Ministry work programme to help manage contaminated land. Read more
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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
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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
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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
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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
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June 2009The report is part of a series of three reports that strengthen the evidence base for a potential industry-led voluntary product stewardship scheme. Read more
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September 2010This study reports on the use, recycling and disposal to landfill in New Zealand of articles containing brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) flame retardants. Read more
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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
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December 2013An investigation into the feasibility of using freshwater fish predictive models in national state of the environment indicators. Read more
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July 2003Guidance on land use planning approaches for land that is on or near an active fault. Read more
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June 2020This factsheet provides a high-level overview of the new freshwater planning process (FPP) introduced by the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020. Read more
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April 2017This checklist outlines mandatory changes enacted through the Resource Legislation Amendment Act for councils to implement through their resource management processes. Read more
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August 2006This document is the summary of submissions received on the Product Stewardship and Water Efficiency Labelling Discussion Document 2005. Read more
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September 2001This document summaries submissions received on the revised and new ambient air quality guidelines. Read more
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November 1998A 1998 discussion paper on managing hazardous waste in New Zealand. Read more
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May 2006This report describes two New Zealand whiteware product stewardship schemes. Read more
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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
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January 2010This environmental snapshot provides information on the pressures on New Zealand’s environment from land use. Read more
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March 2009The latest indicator update providing information the pressure road transport places on New Zealand’s environment. Read more
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July 2013The latest indicator update providing information on the biophysical condition of New Zealand's rivers. Read more
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December 2012The latest indicator update providing information on the area of New Zealand’s marine areas with legal protection. Read more
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November 2001This protocol identifies and describes standardised protocols for use by agencies throughout New Zealand for macroinvertebrate biomonitoring. Read more
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May 2017This report assesses the structure and format of regional rules, and how they vary around New Zealand. Read more
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October 2012The latest indicator update providing information on the state of New Zealand’s air, measuring particulate matter – PM10. Read more