Ministry for the Environment (New Zealand)

Ministry for the Environment
Manatū Mō Te Taiao
Agency overview
Formed 1986
Jurisdiction New Zealand
Headquarters Environment House,
23 Kate Sheppard Place,
Thorndon
Wellington 6011
Annual budget Vote Environment
Total budget for 2016/17
$400,381,000[1]
Ministers responsible
Agency executive
  • Vicky Robertson, Chief Executive and Secretary for the Environment
Website www.mfe.govt.nz

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.

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".[2] Since 1988, the Ministry of the Environment has coordinated New Zealand's interdepartmental policy response to climate change.[3]

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.[4] This was followed up in 2008 by a second report titled Environment New Zealand 2007.[5] 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.[6]

The Ministry for the Environment administer a number of environmental funds:[7]

They also run the Green Ribbon Awards which have been given out by the Minister for the Environment since 1990.[8]

Ministers for the Environment

Name PM served Took office Left office Party
1 Duncan MacIntyre[9] Marshall 9 February 1972 8 December 1972 National
2 Joe Walding[10] Kirk 8 December 1972 10 September 1974 Labour
3 Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan[11] Rowling 10 September 1974 12 December 1975
4 Venn Young[12] Muldoon 12 December 1975 12 February 1981 National
5 Ian Shearer[13] 12 February 1981 26 July 1984
6 Russell Marshall[14][15] Lange 26 July 1984 17 February 1986 Labour
7 Phil Goff[16][17] 17 February 1986 24 August 1987
8 Geoffrey Palmer[18] Lange, Palmer 24 August 1987 September 1990
9 Simon Upton Bolger, Shipley 1990 1999 National
10 Marian Hobbs Clark 10 December 1999 19 October 2005 Labour
11 David Benson-Pope 19 October 2005 27 July 2007
12 David Parker (acting) 27 July 2007 31 October 2007[19]
13 Trevor Mallard 31 October 2007 19 November 2008
14 Nick Smith Key 19 November 2008 21 March 2012 [20] National
15 Chris Finlayson (acting) 21 March 2012 April 2012
16 Amy Adams April 2012 6 October 2014
(14) Nick Smith 8 October 2014 incumbent

See also

Notes

  1. "Total Appropriations for Each Vote". 2016 Budget. The Treasury.
  2. "About the Ministry for the Environment". Mfe.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  3. Ratnasiri; et al. (12 June 1996). "Report on the in-depth review of the national communication of New Zealand". UNFCCC. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
  4. The State of New Zealand’s Environment 1997, Report Ref. ME612, Ministry for the Environment, Wellington, New Zealand.
  5. "State of Environment New Zealand report welcomed". New Zealand Government. 31 January 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2008.
  6. "Ministry stands by decision to drop conclusion chapter Media release: 11 February 2008". Ministry for the Environment. 11 February 2008. Retrieved 28 March 2008.
  7. "Sources of funding for projects and participation". Ministry for the Environment. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  8. "The Green Ribbon Awards". Ministry for the Environment. 15 April 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  9. Wilson 1985, p. 91.
  10. Wilson 1985, p. 92.
  11. Wilson 1985, p. 93.
  12. Wilson 1985, p. 95.
  13. Wilson 1985, p. 96.
  14. "Resignation of Minister" (13 February 1986) 22 New Zealand Gazette 763
  15. Wilson 1985, p. 97.
  16. "Ministers Appointed" (13 February 1986) 22 New Zealand Gazette 763
  17. "Resignation of Ministers" (20 August 1987) 143 New Zealand Gazette 4053.
  18. "Appointment of Ministers" (20 August 1987) 143 New Zealand Gazette at 4053 at 4054.
  19. Rt. Hon Helen Clark, 27 July 2007, Acting Ministers in portfolios, New Zealand Government Press Release, retrieved 25 November 2007.
  20. "Key 'very disappointed', names new ministers". The New Zealand Herald. 21 March 2012. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 21 March 2012.

References

External links

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