Formed 1986 | Jurisdiction New Zealand | |
Headquarters Environment House,23 Kate Sheppard Place,ThorndonWellington 6011 Annual budget Vote EnvironmentTotal budget for 2016/17$400,381,000 Ministers responsible Hon Dr Nick Smith, Minister for the EnvironmentHon Paula Bennett, Minister for Climate Change Issues Agency executive Vicky Robertson, Chief Executive and Secretary for the Environment | ||
The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) (Māori: Manatū Mō Te Taiao) is the public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the government on policies and issues affecting the environment, in addition to the relevant environmental laws and standards.
Contents
The Environment Act 1986 is the foundation law establishing the Ministry.
Description
According to their website, the Ministry for the Environment is the New Zealand government's "principal adviser on the environment" and "on international environmental matters". Since 1988, the Ministry of the Environment has coordinated New Zealand's interdepartmental policy response to climate change.
The Environmental Protection Authority was set up in 2011 to carry out some of the environmental regulatory functions of the MfE as well as other government departments.
In 1997 the Ministry released New Zealand's first State of the Environment report. This was followed up in 2008 by a second report titled Environment New Zealand 2007. Chapter 13 of this report was removed before final publication but was leaked to the Green Party. After the media reported the existence of the omitted chapter the Ministry placed the contents on its website.
The Ministry for the Environment administer a number of environmental funds:
They also run the Green Ribbon Awards which have been given out by the Minister for the Environment since 1990.
Ministers
The Ministry serves 2 portfolios and 2 ministers.