Environmental Reporting Act legislation introduced

The Government has introduced legislation to change New Zealand’s outdated environmental reporting regime and improve decision-making on the country’s environmental considerations.

“This legislation will strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of our environmental reporting, and give decision-makers and the public clearer, more useful information about the state of New Zealand’s environment,” Environment Minister Nicola Grigg says.

The changes involve amending the Environmental Reporting Act 2015, to improve data quality, make information more accessible, relevant and timely.

“These changes are necessary because the current reporting regime is inflexible and has become inefficient. They will ensure reports better support the government to make effective and informed decisions about the environment and environmental impacts,” Ms Grigg says.

“Alongside the Government’s recent $61 million investment over four years in environmental data to implement the new planning system, we’re introducing a new priorities report to identify the most critical areas for investment and give the science sector, councils, and central government clearer guidance about where the gaps are and set priorities for addressing them.”

The amendments also include reducing the frequency of a comprehensive state of the environment report from three-yearly to every six years, and routine environmental reporting from six-monthly to annually – timeframes better suited to tracking environmental change and providing more meaningful insights.

“A fit-for-purpose Environmental Reporting Act 2015 will serve as an important statutory and stewardship foundation for the Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport, ensuring that New Zealand continues to have a valuable, independent, evidence-based environmental reporting program informing decision-making,” Ms Grigg says. ...