Public Outcry Erupts as New Zealand Eliminates Independent Environment Department

In a significant shift within New Zealand’s governmental framework, the Ministry for the Environment is poised to be entirely dismantled following the passage of new legislation on Wednesday. This pivotal decision comes after the centre-right National Party introduced the bill back in February, integrating public input throughout the legislative process.

The dissolution of the Ministry for the Environment marks the creation of a new “mega-ministry,” officially titled MCERT, which will now encompass cities, environment, regions, and transport. This reorganization aims to streamline these sectors under a unified administrative body.

However, the move has sparked criticism from opposition parties. Both the NZ Greens Party and the Labour Party have expressed strong disapproval, opting to vote against the bill. Labour MP Rachel Brooking, a former minister for oceans, voiced her concerns, stating, “The track record of this government is just bad for our environment. We know their approach is to cut, cut, cut, and to make things into culture wars, and it is deplorable.”

The changes have been condemned by the NZ Greens Party and the Labour Party, which both voted against the bill.

“The track record of this government is just bad for our environment,” Labour MP Rachel Brooking, former minister for oceans, said. “We know their track record is to cut, cut, cut, and to make things into culture wars, and it is deplorable.”

“This government is cementing their place as the most anti-environment government in New Zealand’s history. This is a shameful end of an era,” said Green Party environment spokesperson Lan Pham.

NZ environment minister Nicola Grigg, speaking in the country’s parliament, argued that the legal change is purely functional.

“The Environment Act of 1986, with the requirement to advise the minister for the environment on all of the aspects of environmental administration continues as it is today — it does not go away,” she said.

“The act’s requirement to resolve conflicts with environmental policies does not go away. The role of the secretary of the environment does not go away.

“This bill represents a change of form but not function.”

Public submissions from New Zealanders on the proposed changes were almost entirely against the idea. The bill was given legal consideration by the Environmental Select Committee for just 40 minutes.

“At a time when all our environmental outcomes across freshwater, air, biodiversity and oceans are going backwards, climate change is flooding communities week after week, costing billions of dollars, lives, and livelihoods, this Government’s response is to dismantle the ministry responsible for environmental protection,” Pham said.

“This is yet another callous blow to the environment, where this Government is demonstrating their only intention for the environment is to exploit it for a quick buck. New Zealanders deserve so much better.”

The National government has argued the issues the new ministry will manage are fundamentally intertwined but have been difficult to address in a siloed system. They say joining the departments will improve efficiency.

Grigg argues that other countries like France, Türkiye, Switzerland, and Finland all have similarly combined departments to administer their environmental laws.

Since taking office in 2023, Christopher Luxon’s coalition government has implemented a sweeping overhaul of the country’s environmental policies, with strong support from its coalition partners ACT and NZ First.

A ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration was overturned, with approvals fast-tracked for investors. Funding for conservation programs, including Māori-led climate resilience schemes, has been slashed. So too has support for the independent body tasked with ensuring the country reaches its legislated emissions targets.

Earlier this month, the government passed legal protections for major polluters to ensure they cannot be held accountable for climate-related natural disasters and rising sea levels.

The environment ministry is the only department set to be a part of the merger that was created by an act of parliament and therefore requires a legal amendment to disestablish it.

“The environment is deeply loved and deeply embraced by New Zealanders,” Grigg said. “I acknowledge that for many, the disestablishment of the ministry may feel like the end of an era.”

The bill was read for a third time on Wednesday and will now go to the governor-general to be formally signed into law.

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