As part of the Government’s goal to reduce fluorinated gases including hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride – the Government is currently consulting on a product stewardship scheme for refrigerants such as heat pumps and refrigerators, and prohibiting the import and sale of equipment pre-charged with fluorinated gases when alternatives are available. Fluorinated gases have a …
After much anticipation, the Government has now unveiled two of the three new replacements to the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA)– the Spatial Planning Act (currently the Spatial Planning Bill) (SPA); and – the Natural and Built Environment Act (currently the Natural and Built Environment Bill) (NBA)). The third bill is the Climate Adaptation Act …
The Water Services Act 2021 (“the Act”) has become a key consideration for rural water supply arrangements. The Act is being implemented in a staged manner, and some additional requirements have just come into effect. While its main purpose is focussed on safe drinking water, it also sets out obligations with respect to wastewater and …
The Government is currently consulting on a new pricing scheme for agricultural emissions. The agricultural sector is currently excluded from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and contributes to about half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership – He Waka Eke Noa – is a partnership between the Government, Māori …
Consultation on Pricing Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions Read More »
The Government is seeking feedback on changes to how the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry (NESPF) manage plantation and exotic carbon forests. Under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) the forestry sector can earn (and then sell) carbon credits by planting exotic forests, which absorb carbon dioxide and contribute to meeting emissions reduction targets. This …
The National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land (NPS-HPL) has come out strongly in favour of protecting productive land and looks set to hold the line on this except in limited circumstances. The NPS-HPL will sit alongside other national policy statements such as the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and the National Policy Statement …
The Dirt: the New National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land Read More »
New Zealand’s first National Adaptation Plan (the Plan) has now been published. This Plan is required under the Climate Change Response Act 2002 and responds to the risks identified in the National Climate Change Risk Assessment 2020, which included risks relating to indigenous and coastal ecosystems, communities, the economy, and the built environment. At a …
Further to our note in September 2021 about the proposed changes to the intensive winter grazing (IWG) regulations, these have now been finalised. This article outlines what the amendments to the IWG regulations mean for farmers. As we are in the midst of winter, farmers are altering their farm practices to combat feed shortages that …
Amendments to the Intensive Winter Grazing Regulations Read More »
The Ministry for the Environment has released an exposure draft of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (NPSIB). The draft NPSIB was amended following a public consultation process held between November 2019 and March 2020, during which over 7000 submissions were lodged. It provides national direction for maintaining and protecting indigenous biodiversity, and contains …
Exposure Draft – National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity Read More »
The Ministry for the Environment has released an exposure draft of proposed changes to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPSFM) and the Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Regulations 2020 (NESF). These changes make amendments to the wetland provisions, along with what the Ministry describes as technical or clarificatory amendments to …
