CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE

To ensure that ecological sustainability is integrated into government policy, changes are required in public sector administration, structures, processes and priorities. Marine environmental administration has been neglected and must be addressed. Industry sector based ministries work against the goal of environmental sustainability and environmental protection. For this reason we propose refocusing and restructuring parts of the public sector.

Political parties should commit to:
 

Restructuring: Reform the management of the marine environment with the aim of establishing a Ministry of Marine Environmental Management with integrating legislation to achieve comprehensive management of the marine environment consistent with the United Nations Law of the Sea, the United Nations Fisheries Agreement and the Convention on Biodiversity. Note: Protection of marine mammals, seabirds and marine reserves should stay with the Department of Conservation. Replace the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry with a Ministry of Biosecurity, incorporating MAF Quarantine, and a Ministry of Food. Reallocate MAF’s residual functions to the Ministry for the Environment (sustainable land management and indigenous forests management) and Ministry of Commerce. Separate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a new Trade entity. Functions 4. Strengthen the Ministry for the Environment's role by: a) Amending the Environment Act to include "advocacy" for environmental protection and returning to the Ministry for the Environment its previously held oversight and "control" functions; b) Incorporating the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Procedures (EP&EP) as a statutory requirement of the Environment Act. Environmental impact reports should be a statutory requirement of all public sector, state owned enterprises, Crown Entities and Local Authority initiatives.

For further information contact: Forest and Bird and ECO.