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Natural Environment Bill

Foundations - Environmental limits - How environmental limits must be set

55: Developing ecosystem health limits

You could also call this:

"Setting rules to keep the environment healthy"

Illustration for Natural Environment Bill

When you are setting ecosystem health limits, you must do some things first. You need to think about how well the natural environment can cope with pressure and disturbances, as said in section 57. You also need to think about how the proposed limit will affect the environment, as said in section 56. You must be sure the proposed limit will help keep the ecosystem healthy. This is part of achieving the purpose of ecosystem health limits. If you are not completely sure about something, that is no reason to delay or not set the limit.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1524066.

This page was last updated on 14 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Environment and resources > ConservationEnvironment and resources > Town planning

54: Specifying methodologies for setting ecosystem health limits, or

"Setting rules to protect the environment and keep it healthy"

56: Assessing impact of proposed environmental limit or methodology, or

"Checking how new environmental rules will affect people and the environment"

Part 2Foundations
Environmental limits: How environmental limits must be set

55Developing ecosystem health limits

Before determining an ecosystem health limit, a regional council must, in addition to the requirements of section 52,—
consider the existing capacity of the natural environment to withstand or recover from pressure and disturbances in accordance with section 57; and
consider the impact of the proposed limit in accordance with section 56; and
be satisfied that the proposed limit achieves the purpose of ecosystem health limits.

However, a lack of scientific certainty is no reason to delay making the standard or not to make the standard.