Portfolio: Environment

Minister welcomes consultation on methyl bromide

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:22:24 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

Minister for the Environment Nick Smith today welcomed the decision by Environmental Risk Management Authority New Zealand (ERMA) to seek public submissions on its reassessment of fumigant methyl brom...

Govt announces review of Far North Council's consent processes

beehive.govt.nz — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:42:14 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

Environment Minister Nick Smith today announced a review of the Far North District Council's functions under the Resource Management Act. "I am authorising a formal investigation into the Council's pe...

Govt initiates Environment Canterbury performance review

beehive.govt.nz — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:39:57 +1300

Rodney Hide | Local Government

Environment Minister Nick Smith and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide today announced a formal investigation into Environment Canterbury because its poor performance is holding the Canterbury regi...

Wairau report confirms need for RMA reforms

beehive.govt.nz — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:27:59 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

Minister for the Environment Nick Smith today released a report on the processing of TrustPower's application to operate a hydro-scheme on the Wairau River. The report for the Ministry for the Enviro...

River ranking puts focus on water quality

beehive.govt.nz — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:59:13 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

Environment Minister Nick Smith has today welcomed the release of league tables that rank the water quality of New Zealand's major rivers. "Water quality is a significant issue for New Zealand and imp...

Goodbye Nanny State; Hello Green Economy

beehive.govt.nz — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:07:04 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

The Government's environmental agenda is about rolling back Nanny State regulations and achieving better environmental outcomes through financial incentives, says Environment & Climate Change Mini...

Environmental Protection Authority launched

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:57:05 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) that opens today marks a new era in managing New Zealand's natural resources with the Government taking a more active role and major resource consent...

Streamlined resource management law passed

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:34:02 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

The Government has passed changes to improve the Resource Management Act that will untangle unnecessary red tape for New Zealanders and enable essential infrastructure to be built in a more timely way...

Minister welcomes Resource Management Bill report-back

beehive.govt.nz — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:04:34 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

Environment Minister Nick Smith today welcomed the report back to Parliament on the Resource Management Amendment Bill saying the recommendations will cut through costly red tape without compromising ...

Audit report step forward for Mapua

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:13:19 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

The audit report on the remediation of the former Fruitgrowers Chemical Company site in Mapua has confirmed the land is now fit for residential, commercial and open space use – subject to certain co...

Public meeting details for Mapua report released

beehive.govt.nz — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:31:47 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

Environment Minister Nick Smith today confirmed details of a public meeting to be held in Mapua on 31 July where residents will find out results of key reports into the state of a former contaminated ...

Aquaculture advisory group named

beehive.govt.nz — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:05:42 +1200

Phil Heatley | Fisheries

Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley and Environment Minister Nick Smith today announced the appointment of the Aquaculture Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to provide expert input to the aquaculture reform ...

Minister announces public meeting for Mapua report release

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:06:32 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

The Minister for the Environment, Dr Nick Smith, announced today that a public meeting will be held in Mapua near Nelson on 31 July so residents can find out the results of a key report into the state...

Government improves water quality monitoring

beehive.govt.nz — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:28:45 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

“An important part of the Government’s strategy to address fresh water quality is improving the standard and frequency of monitoring”, Environment Minister Nick Smith said today in addressing Fi...

RMA shake-up needed to fix late consents

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:52:01 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

Changes in law and practice are needed to address the record number of late resource consents, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith said today. Dr Smith today released the two-yearly report on Local Aut...

Air quality standards to be reviewed

beehive.govt.nz — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:36:07 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

New Zealand's air quality standards need reviewing to ensure they are practical and achievable, Environment Minister Nick Smith announced today. Dr Smith today released the terms of reference and tech...

Agenda for Fresh Water Reform

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:12:17 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

Kia ora hui hui tatou katoa. Great to be here this evening. I thank you for this opportunity to be part of your important 2009 conference. It is aptly titled “Reform in Paradise – thre...

Fresh water reform process announced

beehive.govt.nz — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:56:00 +1200

David Carter | Environment

A new process to improve New Zealand's fresh water management was today announced by Environment Minister Nick Smith and Agriculture Minister David Carter. "Reform of New Zealand's fresh water managem...

Green Ribbon Award winners announced

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:22:34 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

Nine individuals, businesses and organisations from Kaitaia to Otago have been honoured for making an outstanding contribution to protecting the environment at the annual Green Ribbon Awards anno...

Government delivers on environmental priorities

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:28:24 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

The Government is increasing funding for its environmental priorities in 2009/10, Environment Minister Nick Smith says. “Feel good programmes that cost much and achieved little have been shelv...

The Next Phase of RMA Reform

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:58:45 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

It’s great to be here addressing you as Environment Minister at a time of considerable reform in resource management and planning policy. The new Government is embarking on an ambitious prog...

Work programme for Phase II of RMA reforms announced

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 08 May 2009 11:32:04 +1200

Nick Smith | Environment

Greater central Government direction and closer alignment with other legislation are the key objectives of the Government's second phase of reform of the Resource Management Act, Environment Minister ...

Northland a priority area for new aquaculture

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:03:00 +1300

Phil Heatley | Fisheries

The Government is to investigate finfish and oyster farming opportunities in Northland in a bid to grow New Zealand's aquaculture industry, Minister for the Environment Nick Smith and Minister of Fish...

Plastic bag move a positive step in the right direction

beehive.govt.nz — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:51:16 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

Environment Minister Nick Smith today welcomed the announcement by The Warehouse that it plans to reduce the use of plastic bags by charging customers who use them. "More than a billion plastic bags a...

Government committed to real solutions not slogans

beehive.govt.nz — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:15:41 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

Environment Minister Nick Smith today stated that five programmes led by the Ministry for the Environment would be discontinued or scaled back to ensure the Government could afford to meet its priorit...

Bill to make RMA processes simpler, cheaper, quicker

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:18:00 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

The Government today introduced a Bill to the House that will cut through suffocating red tape for Kiwi homeowners, businesses and farmers while safeguarding the environment. Environment Minister Nick...

Speech on the First Reading of the RMA

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:49:36 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

Mr Speaker, I move that the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Bill now be read a first time. At the appropriate time I intend to move that the Bill be considered by the Local Governme...

Government welcomes progress to protect Lake Taupo

beehive.govt.nz — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:28:49 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

Minister for the Environment Nick Smith today welcomed a deal by the Lake Taupo Protection Trust to convert more than 930 hectares of farmland into forestry. “Water quality is one of the most chall...

Government welcomes arrival of electric cars

beehive.govt.nz — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:36:14 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

Environment and Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith today welcomed the announcement that electric cars would be commercially available in New Zealand. "This is the beginning of an exciti...

Time to nominate environmental champions

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:31:26 +1300

Nick Smith | Environment

Environment Minister Nick Smith today announced the start of a search for New Zealand's latest batch of environmental champions, calling for nominations for the 2009 Green Ribbon Awards. "For nearly 2...