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Resource Management Act 1991

Functions, powers, and duties of central and local government - Functions, powers, and duties of Ministers

24: Functions of Minister for the Environment

You could also call this:

“The Minister for the Environment makes important decisions and keeps an eye on things to protect New Zealand's environment.”

The Minister for the Environment has several important jobs under this law. You should know that the Minister can recommend national policy statements. These are like big rules for the whole country about how to take care of our environment.

The Minister can also suggest making national environmental standards. These are rules that everyone in New Zealand has to follow to protect our environment.

Another job of the Minister is to approve national planning standards. These help make sure that plans for looking after the environment are similar across the country.

Sometimes, there are big projects that affect the whole country. The Minister can decide if they need to step in and help with these projects.

The Minister recommends who should be allowed to ask for land to be used for special projects or to protect important heritage sites.

They can also recommend rules to protect our water, called water conservation orders.

It’s the Minister’s job to keep an eye on how this law is working. They check if people are following the rules and if the rules are doing a good job of protecting our environment.

The Minister watches how the government and local councils work together on environmental matters. They can also look into any environmental issues they think are important.

Another task is to think about using money-related tools, like charges or rewards, to help protect the environment.

Lastly, the Minister does any other jobs that this law says they should do.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM232535.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Conservation
Environment and resources > Climate and energy
Government and voting > Local councils
Government and voting > Government departments
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23: Other legal requirements not affected, or

“This law reminds you that you still need to follow other rules even if you follow this one.”

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24A: Power of Minister for the Environment to investigate and make recommendations, or

“The Minister can check how councils are doing their job and tell them how to do it better.”

Part 4 Functions, powers, and duties of central and local government
Functions, powers, and duties of Ministers

24Functions of Minister for the Environment

  1. The Minister for the Environment shall have the following functions under this Act:

  2. the recommendation of the issue of national policy statements under section 52:
    1. the recommendation of the making of national environmental standards:
      1. the approval of a national planning standard under section 58E:
        1. to decide whether to intervene in a matter, or to make a direction for a matter that is or is part of a proposal of national significance, under Part 6AA:
          1. the recommendation of the approval of an applicant as a requiring authority under section 167 or a heritage protection authority under section 188:
            1. the recommendation of the issue of water conservation orders under section 214:
              1. the monitoring of the effect and implementation of this Act (including any regulations in force under it), national policy statements, national planning standards, and water conservation orders:
                1. the monitoring of the relationship between the functions, powers, and duties of central government and local government under this Part:
                  1. the monitoring and investigation, in such manner as the Minister thinks fit, of any matter of environmental significance:
                    1. the consideration and investigation of the use of economic instruments (including charges, levies, other fiscal measures, and incentives) to achieve the purpose of this Act:
                      1. any other functions specified in this Act.

                        Notes
                        • Section 24(b): amended, on , by section 6(1) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 87).
                        • Section 24(ba): inserted, on , by section 10(1) of the Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 15).
                        • Section 24(c): replaced, on , by section 22 of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
                        • Section 24(f): amended, on , by section 10(2) of the Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 15).
                        • Section 24(g): amended, on , by section 150 of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
                        • Section 24(ga): inserted, on , by section 17 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1993 (1993 No 65).