The Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill was altered by select committee.

The recent decision of the Supreme Court in Waitakere City Council v Estate Homes Limited[2006] NZSC 112 has clarified the law relating to subdivision consent conditions that require the provision of public infrastructure. The decision overturns an earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal and contains some important comments on the scope of Environment Court appeals and the lawfulness of consent conditions generally.

The Productivity Commission has a strategy to achieve net carbon neutrality on a transition to a low emissions economy.

The Resource Management Amendment Bill was introduced to the House on 23 September 2019 and had its first reading in Parliament yesterday.

The Phase One reforms to the Resource Management Act (RMA) were substantial but Phase Two promises to be bigger.

Situations often arise during the resource consent process where an applicant may wish to change its application after the application has been notified.

The Auckland Spatial Plan, now in the first stages of development, will establish the "vision statement" which will drive planning and resource management decisions in the ‘Super City’ over the next 20 to 30 years. As such, it will be an important document.

On 20 September 2007, the government published the framework of a proposed emissions trading scheme in New Zealand.

The Productivity Commission has urged "early, strong action" in the form of higher emissions prices.

This article summarises three reform models offered by the EDS (Environmental Defence Society) and the future process.

Check that you comply with the new NZ rules for managing hazardous substances in the workplace.

The report of the Land and Water Forum reflects the large and diverse nature of the Forum’s membership in that it demonstrates much stronger agreement on the problems affecting water quality, management and allocation than on the solutions. But it is a useful contribution to one of the most important and difficult issues facing New Zealand and will provide direction for policy development. This Brief Counsel summarises the report’s key findings.

The Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011, passed last week, is essentially an experiment in political and legal alchemy. Akin to the fabled quest to turn copper into gold, the Act seeks to translate – but also transform – customary, common law and Treaty of Waitangi rights into a self-contained statutory regime.

Auckland Unleashed – the strategy which will determine the way Auckland lives, plays and does business over the next 30 years – has now been released for preliminary comment and is likely to progress swiftly from here.

There will be more traction under climate change policy and a further rewriting of environment and planning law.

The Canterbury Earthquake Response and Recovery Act (the Act), passed by Parliament this week, provides special powers to facilitate the post-quake reconstruction.

Article discusses the new rules brought about by PC7 & what they mean for future operations.

Case note: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry v Waikato Regional Council; Refresher: Giving Weight to Different Plans; Choosing the Defendant: Enforcement against Corporate Entities.

The Bill unexpectedly legislates for a 10-year moratorium on new thermal electricity generation, while its provisions to implement a greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme have been widely signalled and depart in only small ways from previously announced policy.