If your eyes start to glaze over when acronyms like RMA, EEZ, or EPA are quoted, but you need to know the ins and outs of environmental management you’ve now got some help. There’s a whole raft of legal decision making processes and changing expectations that, whilst important, can be daunting. If you need to know what falls under the remit of the Ministry for the Environment rather than the Ministry for Conservation, or which statutory or independent body you need to consult, request information from or perhaps complain to etc you should now be able to find the answers here.
The Environment Foundation has relaunched its Environment Guide website www.environmentguide.org.nz. The site is an on-line guide to assist individuals, community groups and businesses to more effectively participate in environmental management decision-making processes.
The Foundation has been supported by the NZ Law Foundation and the Environmental Defence Society in preparing the Guide.
“We have now fully updated the site to reflect recent amendments to the Resource Management Act and other environmental legislation,” said Environment Foundation Chair, Raewyn Peart.
“The Guide is written in plain English and is easy to use. It covers a wide range of environmental legislation and processes. For example, we have specific sections on freshwater, biodiversity, air, coastal/marine, landscape and climate change. We also include key sectors such as agriculture, fishing, horticulture and forestry.
“We’ve had terrific feedback on the website. It is widely used by individuals, businesses, community groups and students. It helps people to easily navigate what is becoming increasingly complex environmental law.
“The website is an important part of the Environment Foundation’s activities which focus on providing high quality environmental information and training so that New Zealander’s can participate more effectively in decisions affecting our natural environment. It is important that lay people can have access to environmental laws.
“The Foundation is a charitable entity and we are solely dependent on donors to support our work. We are currently looking for supporters to help fund the ongoing updating and management of the Guide,” Raewyn Peart concluded.
For more information check out the website or contact Raewyn Peart 021613379 or 09 8156082
Photo and information courtesy of Raewyn Peart, Environment Foundation