Environment (Disestablishment of Ministry for the Environment) Amendment Bill
This bill closes down the Ministry for the Environment as a stand-alone government department. Its work would be taken over by a new, larger ministry called the Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT), which would also absorb the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the Ministry of Transport, and some local government functions. A single senior official — the Secretary for the Environment — would still be responsible for environmental duties. That person would have to write an annual report on how those environmental duties are being carried out.
What this affects
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The dedicated government department for the environment would be closed and folded into a larger ministry covering cities, transport, and regions.
The Ministry for the Environment is disestablished.
The Secretary for the Environment is responsible to the Minister for— (a) the performance of their functions under section 31
The Secretary must, as soon as practicable after the end of a financial year, report to the Minister on how the Secretary has performed their functions under section 31 in that financial year.
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Environment Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 19 February 2026.
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.