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Environment Act 1986

Ministry for the Environment

31: Functions of Ministry

You could also call this:

"The Ministry's jobs are to help protect the environment and advise the Government."

Illustration for Environment Act 1986

The Ministry for the Environment has several jobs. You can think of these jobs as helping to protect the environment. The Ministry advises the Minister on how to manage natural resources. This includes looking at how public and private projects might affect the environment. The Ministry also helps people participate in planning and decision-making about the environment. The Ministry gives advice to the Government on environmental policies. This includes how to control pollution and manage hazardous substances. The Ministry also helps to identify natural hazards and reduce their effects. The Ministry provides information and services to promote environmental policies. This includes education and helping people participate in environmental planning. The Ministry also does other jobs related to the environment, as required by law, and it can get information from any source to help with its work, such as the Schedule.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM99773.

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"People who work at the Ministry for the Environment"

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"Things to Think About When Working for the Environment"

Part 2Ministry for the Environment

31Functions of Ministry

  1. The Ministry shall have the following functions:

  2. to advise the Minister on all aspects of environmental administration, including—
    1. policies for influencing the management of natural and physical resources and ecosystems so as to achieve the objectives of this Act:
      1. significant environmental impacts of public or private sector proposals, particularly those that are not adequately covered by legislative or other environmental assessment requirements currently in force:
        1. ways of ensuring that effective provision is made for public participation in environmental planning and policy formulation processes in order to assist decision making, particularly at the regional and local level:
        2. to solicit and obtain information from any source, and to conduct and supervise research, so far as it is necessary for the formulation of advice to the Government on environmental policies:
          1. to provide the Government, its agencies, and other public authorities with advice on—
            1. the application, operation, and effectiveness of the Acts specified in the Schedule in relation to the achievement of the objectives of this Act:
              1. procedures for the assessment and monitoring of environmental impacts:
                1. pollution control and the co-ordination of the management of pollutants in the environment:
                  1. the identification and likelihood of natural hazards and the reduction of the effects of natural hazards:
                    1. the control of hazardous substances, including the management of the manufacture, storage, transport, and disposal of hazardous substances:
                    2. to facilitate and encourage the resolution of conflict in relation to policies and proposals which may affect the environment:
                      1. to provide and disseminate information and services to promote environmental policies, including environmental education and mechanisms for promoting effective public participation in environmental planning:
                        1. generally to provide advice on matters relating to the environment:
                          1. to carry out any other functions that may be conferred on the Ministry by any enactment.

                            Notes
                            • Section 31(c)(i): replaced, on , by section 6 of the Resource Management (Natural and Built Environment and Spatial Planning Repeal and Interim Fast-track Consenting) Act 2023 (2023 No 68).
                            • Section 31(g): added, on , by section 53 of the Climate Change Response Act 2002 (2002 No 40).