Natural Environment Bill
The Natural Environment Bill aims to manage New Zealand's natural resources and environment. It establishes a framework for setting environmental limits to protect both human and ecosystem health. The Bill outlines how national environmental instruments, such as national policy directions and national standards, will be developed and implemented by regional councils through natural environment plans. It also details the process for applying for, granting, and reviewing natural resource permits for activities affecting land, water, and the coastal marine area. The Bill includes provisions for enforcement, compliance, and the roles of central and local government, as well as addressing the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori customary rights in resource management.
What this affects
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The Bill establishes a system for setting and enforcing environmental limits to protect both human and ecosystem health. It outlines how these limits will be developed and implemented through national and regional planning documents.
46 Purpose of environmental limits
49 Where human health limits must be set
50 Where ecosystem health limits must be set
66 Avoiding breach of environmental limit
67 Breach of environmental limits
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
Submissions open once a bill reaches the select committee stage and the committee calls for them. In the meantime, you can write to your local MP about it.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.