Environmental, social and governance in New Zealand

Select Committee reports back on Fast-Track

October 23, 2024

New Zealand: After receiving 26,855 submissions and hearing 66 hours of feedback, the Environment Select Committee (the Committee) reported back on the Fast-Track Approvals Bill (the Bill) last Friday, 18 October. The Committee, by majority, recommended that the Bill be passed into law, along with a myriad of changes. We provide a brief overview of the key recommended amendments below (referring to the majority recommendations unless we state otherwise).

More details rise to the surface on Local Water Done Well

August 22, 2024

New Zealand: On 8 August 2024, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced new details on the water service delivery models which will be available under the Government’s Local Water Done Well (LWDW) programme. LWDW is the Coalition Government’s answer to Labour’s Three Waters reform.

Slow and steady is not winning the race: Climate Change Commission releases its first report on the National Adaptation Plan

August 15, 2024

New Zealand: Adaptation is an integral component of our approach to addressing climate change, and according to He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission, we are not doing it very well. Released on 15 August 2024, the Commission’s report, National Adaptation Plan: Assessing progress on the implementation and effectiveness of the Government’s first national adaptation plan, evaluates New Zealand's progress in adapting to climate change, focusing on the implementation and effectiveness of the country's first National Adaptation Plan (NAP), released in 2022.

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