INTRODUCTION
The need for organisations and individuals to comply with their legal duties is an accepted part of daily life and sound commercial practice. Yet in many respects we tend to pay lip service to our responsibilities in that regard. In terms of environmental responsibilities, it is fair to say that the introduction of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), and latterly the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO), have brought more focus to bear on the way our activities can adversely affect the environment, and what responsibilities we have to ensure that such effects are minimised.
Particularly in recent years, district and regional councils, the courts and some government agencies have signalled clearly that these responsibilities are to be taken very seriously, and that appropriate sanctions will be visited on those who fail to comply with relevant legal obligations. A topical and interesting development is the recent announcement by Swiss Re, one of
