Environmental Management in a New Zealand Context - Research Paper Example

Environmental Management in a New Zealand Context ABDULLAH Executive Summary There are a number of local, regional, and national environmental management agencies and organizations that are currently operating in Aotearoa (New Zealand). i. The national environmental management agencies have currently consolidated their environmental responsibilities into three major agencies namely, the Department of Conservation (DOC), Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment (PCE) and the Ministry for the Environment (MFE) (Furuseth and Cocklin, 2002). ii. Regional and local environmental management agencies in New Zealand such as Waipoua Forest Trust, Buller Conservation Group, Clean Stream Waiheke are responsible for monitoring the environment and overseeing the implementation of the Resource Management Act 1991 at the regional and local levels respectively. This paper critically highlights the main Environmental Management actors in New Zealand including their interrelationships, their roles & responsibilities, successes as well as challenges in the management of the country’s natural resources. Table of Contents Executive summary……………………………………………………………………………......2 Environmental Management in a New Zealand Context Introduction Environmental management in Aotearoa (New Zealand) has undergone significant transformation over the years particularly in the late 1980s and early 1990s in order to reflect the concerns of New Zealanders and as well as the global community. Prior to the 1990s, the environmental management approach in New Zealand was largely slow and incremental. From as early as the 1940s, environmental awareness in the country increasingly but slowly became apparent. Numerous laws, statutes, advisory bodies, government departments and local agencies were set up as part of the growing concerns for environmental management (Furuseth and Cocklin, 2002). The first major attempt towards achieving a coordinated environmental management approach in Aotearoa (New Zealand) was seen in the establishment of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Act of 1941. The act particularly created a number of local catchment boards as well as agencies such as the National Water and Soil Conservation Trust. In the 1950s and 1960s, a number of organizations emerged to address some of the local environmental issues such as pollution, protection of wildlife, as well as the international issues such as nuclear testing and whaling. Under the previous environmental management structure, New Zealand’s environmental policies and decisions were fragmented and often uncoordinated (Furuseth and Cocklin, 2002). Consequently, there was a need to develop a better administrative framework for sustainable environmental planning. In response to the deteriorating economic performance, the government began to reform most of its state agencies from 1984. Previous, there were a number of local, regional, and national environmental management agencies and organizations that were operating in New Zealand. However, as part of the reforms, various environmental management agencies were strengthened and placed and under the management of state owned agencies. The fragmented environmental responsibilities in the previous government departments were successfully consolidated into three major agencies namely, the Department of Conservation, Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment and the Ministry of Environment. In this regard, all the environmental assets such as indigenous forests that were previously managed by different agencies were brought under the Department of Conservation. The Major Players in Environmental Management in Aotearoa The main environmental management actors in the country can be broadly categorized into advisory bodies, government departments and non governmental bodies among others. Advisory bodies include all the agencies that are primarily concerned with some aspects of environmental policy. According to Furuseth and Cocklin (2002), some of the main National environmental management advisory bodies include the Nature Conservation Council, Commission for the Environment, National Parks Authority, Environmental Council, Historic Places Trust and Wild Life Division of Internal Affairs. On the other hand, some of the government departments that play a major role in environmental management comprise of all the agencies responsible for the management and development of various sectors of the economy such as the Forest Service, Ministry of Works, National Chemicals Board and the National Water and Soil Conservation Authority. Additionally, other agencies involved in Aotearoa’s environmental management may also include the government departments concerned with the development and management of natural resources such as the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Lastly, various regional and local agencies such as Waipoua Forest Trust and Clean Stream Waiheke among others have also enabled New Zealand to develop and sustainably manage its natural resources at the regional and local levels. According to Harris (2004), the roles of each local, regional and national agency body involved are particularly well defined in the Resource Management Act 1991. Department of Conservation The Department of Conservation is the primary government agency that is charged with the responsibility of sustainable conservation of the natural and historic heritage of New Zealand for the benefit of the present as well as the future New Zealanders. Crown land within New Zealand designated for protection and conservation happens to be under the management of the Department of Conservation (DOC). Provision of recreation is part of DOC’s main duties and this role entails management of the family picnic sites alongside maintenance of rugged backcountry tracks plus more than 1000 accompanying backcountry huts which hunters and recreational trampers find useful (Department of Conservation, 2014). Besides, DOC manages rural fire control along with the administration of the Natural Heritage Fund. Apart from DOC’s duty to manage land and provide recreation within New Zealand, the department has efforts directed to preservation of the natural heritage and this includes preservation of natural resources on the public conservation land, management of threats like weeds and pests, helping land owners to efficiently preserve natural heritage and environmental restoration among others (Frieder, 1997). Ministry for the Environment The Ministry for the Environment (MFE) is another important player in New Zealand’s environmental management. As an agency, some of the important functions of the MFE include provision of counsel to the government as well as the public on matters related to the environment, facilitating the successful resolution of various conflicts related to environmental management. Since its inception, the ministry has always had a number of intertwining relationships with various sustainable management initiatives. According to Ministry for the Environment (2014), the Statutory Authority that created the ministry charged MFE to observe the principles of sustainability. On the other hand, the Environmental Act requires the Ministry to undertake a balanced and full account of the sustainability of the physical and natural resources, intrinsic values of economic systems as well as the needs of future generations. However, the declared mission of the Ministry of Environment is to ensure sustainable management of physical and natural resources in order to enhance human well being and environmental quality. Fig 1: The Ministry for the Environment (MFE) works to Achieve Sustainable Management Environment Source: http://www.mfe.govt.nz Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment is an independent office that reviews and provides relevant advice to the New Zealand parliament on a wide range of environmental issues. The commissioner has the duty to review then issue advice regarding environmental issues plus the systems of agencies or processes that the Government establishes with the aim of managing the environment (Frieder, 1997). The chief intention of the office is contribution towards maintenance and improvement of the quality of the environment inside New Zealand via the advice issued to parliament, communities, local councils or other public agencies. Some of the specific roles that the commissioner would be allowed to carry out include advisory services on information which can help people maintain or improve the quality of the environment, assessment of the efficiency, performance and capability of environmental management systems of New Zealand and investigation on all matters where the environment has had an adverse effect. Environmental Protection Authority The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is another important agency involved in environmental management in New Zealand. The agency is primarily responsible for receiving and processing of applications and proposals related to environmental activities within Aotearoa’s Exclusive Economic Zone as provided under the Resource Management Act 1991 (Harris, 2004). In addition, the EPA also regulates the introduction or use of any dangerous substances and new organisms based on the provisions of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act. Lastly, the Environmental Protection Authority is also currently responsible for the administration of the emissions Trading Scheme under the Climate Change Response Act. Regional and Local Environmental Management Agencies Both the regional and local environmental management agencies in New Zealand are normally responsible for monitoring the environment and overseeing the implementation of the Resource Management Act 1991 at the regional and local levels respectively. Some of the regional environmental agencies in New Zealand include Waipoua Forest Trust, Buller Conservation Group, Clean Stream Waiheke among others. In addition, the Resource Management Act 1991 has provided for the creation of 12 regional councils across various parts of New Zealand to help in the management of natural resources such as rivers, coast, air and soil. On the other hand, the local environmental management agencies in New Zealand include 68 city and district councils that are often responsible for a diverse number of local environmental activities some of which may include collecting rubbish, dragging away abandoned cars, managing land use in their localities and even catching stray dogs. Local agencies are also charged with the responsibility of addressing indigenous Maori concerns and challenges related to environmental management at the local levels (Te Aho, 2010). ISO 14001: Environmental Management ISO 14001 is currently one of the most widely recognized environmental management standards in the world. ISO 14001 defines the manner of operation of an environmental management system. Though it never states the requirements for environmental performance, it does map out a framework that an organization could follow in setting up an efficient environmental management system. Any organizations in New Zealand that are interested in improving resource efficiency, reducing waste or driving down cost will find ISO 14001 to be useful (Harris, R. (2004). Through ISO 14001, company management, employees or stakeholders of New Zealand based firms can get the assurance that the environmental impact is under measurement and improvement. In addition, ISO 14001 could be embedded in other management roles then help companies meet both environmental and economic goals. An Environmental Management System (EMS) could be instrumental in helping organizations in New Zealand enhance their performance while improving business efficiency. This will require that organizations assume active roles in examination of their own practices followed by the establishment of the best way to manage their impacts. Such an approach is likely to encourage creative or relevant solution from an organization. Despite EMS implementation being a voluntary initiative, it could be a useful tool for New Zealand’s government to guard the environment since it can help in regulation. To organizations within New Zealand, EMS helps in making sure that the performance remains within the predefined regulatory requirements while keeping ahead of additional strict regulations that could be brought into the picture at some later time (Harris, 2004). Successes, Challenges and Conclusions In my opinion, the collaborative efforts of the local, regional, and national environmental management agencies and organizations in New Zealand have been largely successful in ensuring sustainable management of New Zealand’s physical and natural resources. This is likely to be attributed to the effectiveness of the integrated approach coupled with the support from the Resource Management Act 1991. For example, according to Furuseth and Cocklin (2002), the inter-agency approach that is currently being used in New Zealand has particularly emphasized working together and sharing of information between the various agencies thereby consolidating information and promoting better understanding of the environment. One of the major historical perceived areas of notable achievement of the environmental management agencies is that the multi agency approach based on the provisions of the RMA 1991 have resulted in better management and regulation of wastes in New Zealand thereby reducing environmental pollution(Land and Water Forum, 2010). Additionally, the problem of deforestation in New Zealand is now negligible since the logging of indigenous Aotearoa forests has now ceased. Lastly, the Environmental Management agencies have been able to maintain the rich biodiversity of New Zealand. One of the potential benefits of the collaboration between the agencies such as the ministry for the Environment (MFE), Department of Conservation (DOC) and other related bodies involved in environmental management is that it has provided a suitable framework for effective resolution of complex resource problems. Additionally, the approach has enabled environmental management agencies with limited resources to effectively and efficiently perform their functions with assistance from the other agencies. Despite the numerous successes and achievements in New Zealand’s environmental management, the country’s journey to a more sustainable future is still faced with a number of challenges and difficulties that it is yet to overcome. The first major potential challenge to New Zealand’s environmental management is the current fundamental pressures on the country’s natural resources such as minerals. For example, it is often difficult to strike a balance between economic use of natural resources and the need for environmental conservation (Frieder, 1997). Another significant challenge facing the guardianship of New Zealand’s natural resources is the threat of bio-security related risks to the environment. According to the Department of Conservation (2014), plant and animal pests from other regions are increasingly threatening New Zealand’s unique biotic economy and natural resources (Furuseth and Cocklin, 2002). Consequently, there is an urgent need for various environmental management agencies to improve their aspects of managing bio-security in order to protect Aotearoa’s unique but delicate indigenous flora, fauna and biodiversity. Conclusion In conclusion, the success of New Zealand’s environmental management approach is largely attributed to the effectiveness of the integrated multi-agency approach as well as the support from the Resource Management Act 1991. Unlike in the past where environmental responsibilities were fragmented into many different government departments, the current approach is characterized by the consolidation of various environmental responsibilities into three major agencies namely, the Department of Conservation, Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment and the Ministry of Environment. However, despite the success of this strategy, the current New Zealand’s journey to a sustainable future is still faced with a number of challenges and difficulties. References Department of Conservation. 2014. Organization Website. Wellington, N.Z: Department of Conservation. Retrieved on June 21, 2014 from http://www.doc.govt.nz Frieder, J. (1997). Approaching Sustainability: Integrated Environmental Management and New Zealand’s Resource Management Act. Retrieved on June 20, 2014 from www.fulbright.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/.../axford1997_frieder.pdf Furuseth, O., Cocklin, C. (2002). An Institutional Framework For Sustainable Resource Management: The New Zealand Model. Natural Resources Journal 35, 2,1-31. Retrieved on June 20, 2014 from http://lawlibrary.unm.edu/nrj/35/2/02_furuseth_newzealand.pdf Harris, R. (2004). Resource Management Act: Handbook of Environmental Law. Wellington: Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand. Ministry for the Environment.(2009). An Everyday Guide to the Resource Management Act Series. Wellington, NZ: Ministry for the Environment. Retrieved on June 21, 2014 from http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/rma/everyday/overview Ministry for the Environment.(2014). Organizational Website. Wellington, N.Z: Ministry for the Environment. Retrieved on June 21, 2014 from https://www.mfe.govt.nz Land and Water Forum.(2010). Report of the Land and Water Forum: A fresh Start for Freshwater. Retrieved on June 21, 2014 from www.landandwater.org.nz Te Aho, L. (2010). Indigenous Challenges to enhance Freshwater Governance and Management in Aotearoa New Zealand - the Waikato river settlement. The Journal of Water Law, 20, 5, 285-292. Retrieved on June 19, 2014 from http://www.boprc.govt.nz/media/212783/te_aho__l__indigenous_challenges_to_enghance_freshwater_governance__management.pdf Read More