In my judgement, the overall conclusion to be reached is that New Zealand does regulatory statutes rather badly. They are insufficiently researched. They are not rigorously tested before being enacted. Nor are sufficient efforts made to find out how they worked in the real world. And large statutes are amended far too readily, leading to...

The purpose of this project is to explore whether the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) has delivered desired environmental outcomes for New Zealand. It is intended to complement wider assessments of the efficacy of the Act. The project is focused on gathering the best available information on the state of the environment in New Zealand...

This document is an eight point programme of action designed to address a range of important issues with New Zealand's resource management system with the aim of furthering discussion about what would best suit the country's needs in the coming decade. Local Government New Zealand is advocating for the following key proposals: Integrate resource management...

‘Conservation matters’, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) briefed its new minister in 2014, because ‘New Zealand’s natural heritage shapes the country’s cultural identity and ... New Zealanders identify strongly with conservation lands and waters’ (Department of Conservation, 2014, p.4). It further explained that the benefits of conservation are much more than improving health and...

Human use and development reshapes land, reconstitutes water, consumes space and natural resources and alters faunal compositions. This presents significant challenges to policy makers and wildlife conservation managers mandated to maintain and enhance biological diversity.