Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment - Te Kaitiaki Taiao a Te Whare Pāremata

Latest news

Submission on the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill
16 Dec 2011
The ocean around New Zealand is divided into two legal regimes. The territorial sea lies within 12 nautical miles of the coast and environmental issues are managed under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). But beyond this New Zealand has environmental responsibilities for the ocean within the Exclusive Economic Zone...


Speech to Otago University Symposium Public Conservation Lands 2040
08 Nov 2011
Prosperity or Posterity? The Future of Conservation Land
Thank you very much for the invitation to come and speak
today.I always like coming back to my home island.  I am
sorry that I cannot be here for the whole symposium.


Speech to Otago University Symposium Public Conservation Lands 2040
08 Nov 2011
Prosperity or Posterity? The Future of Conservation Land - A speech on commercial use of the conservation estate.


Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2011
06 Oct 2011
This year I have a particular reason to reflect on the past. It is 25 years since the legislation creating the Commissioner’s role was debated in Parliament. Established as part of the Environment Act, there was support for the creation of the role from across the political spectrum.


Measuring Up: Environmental Reporting Discussion document submission
03 Oct 2011
The discussion document contains two proposals. The first is that the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment be required to prepare a report on the State of the Environment at a national level every five years. The second is that changes be made to the Resource Management Act to enable the...


Green Growth Issues for New Zealand Feedback to the Green Growth Advisory Group
20 Sep 2011
Thank you for the opportunity to submit to the discussion paper Green Growth – Issues for New Zealand. It is encouraging that the Government is looking at opportunities for green growth.