Introduction to Environmental Impact Assesment in New Zealand

Assignment 1
Environment Impact Assessment
72296/A
Paul Cronin
3319860

Paul Cronin
3319860

Introduction

The purpose of this essay is to critically assess the approach that New Zealand has taken with the application of Environmental Assessment (EIA). The first part of this essay will identify and review the introduction of EIA in New Zealand and look at it’s history. The next section will identify and discuss the purpose and principals of EIA. The next part of the report will then outline the current application of EIA and its incorporation into New Zealand’s law and policy. The final part of this essay will be an assessment of the approach that New Zealand has taken.

History.
Within New Zealand the impetus for environmental protection and associated legislation has been attributed to the Save Manapouri Campaign (Open Polytechnic of New Zealand 2008). This is a reasonable view in that the first real EIA were conducted in this campaign and the resulting outcry over the possible impacts was significant. Michael King in The History of New Zealand (2003) said that “it started a national debate on environmental issues involving…politicians, scientists, professional planners and members of the public” Certainly there is other evidence that points to much earlier impetus, in 1874 the Forests Bill Act was introduced into Parliament because of concerns about forest denudation and there were protests about the actions of The New Zealand Forest Service in the 1940’s.

Paul Cronin
3319860
There were many other mini movements and concerns over the century preceding the introduction of the EPEP. In addition to these New Zealand forces there was a background of international environmental actions stemming from the 1972 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development Nations in Geneva, this conference was held in a time of much change with Nations Worldwide Governmental bodies such as the United Nations and others started to become

References: Boshier, J. (1998). 25 Years of impact assessment in New Zealand. Planning Quarterly, (130), 18 – 20. Dunlap, R.E., Mertig A. G. Editors, (1992). American Environmentalism: The U.S. Environmental Movement, 1970-1990. Taylor and Francis 1992, available from http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=nIl9Y5gmg1cC John Key (2008) connect with john Fookes, T. (2000) Environmental assessment under the Resource Management Act 1991. In P.A. Memon & H.C. Perkins (Eds.), Environmental planning and management in New Zealand (pp. 80 – 92). Palmerston North, New Zealand. Dunmore Press King, M Memon, A. 1993. Keeping New Zealand Green - Recent Environmental Reforms. University of Otago Press: Dunedin. Memon, A, Skelton, P. (2002) Adopting Sustainability as an Overarching Environmental Policy: a Review of section 5 of the RMA Morgan, R. (1998) Environmental Impact Assesment; a methodological approach (pp. 1-3. 31-52). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers Molloy, L., Potton, C Neville, J. (2000) Principles of Environmental Impact Assessment Retrieved, 19/08/2008, http://jnevill.customer.netspace.net.au/eia_principles.pdf Open Polytechnic of New Zealand Course Information Module 2, pp3,4.