Upcoming climate change relevant policy and legislation

The draft national adaptation plan (NAP) is full of cross-references to other plans and legislation. It can be hard to keep up with, so we have collated a reference list to help navigate this confusing landscape.

Recent developments:

• The Emissions Reduction Plan 2022 – 2025. Released 16 May 2022.
• NZ SeaRise released new sea-level rise projections in early May 2022. These will be eventually incorporated into an updated Coastal Hazards Plan. 
• Proposed changes to Emissions Trading Scheme. Consultation closed 22 April 2022. Amendments will be made by September 2022 and come into force in January 2022. 

The suite of RMA legislation:

• Managed retreat legislation will be covered by the proposed Climate Adaptation Act (CAA) which is due to be introduced to the House by the end of 2023.  A first lot of consultation on this has been wrapped into the NAP. Some information is available in this consultation document.
• The proposed Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA), is the main replacement for the RMA, to protect and restore the environment while better enabling development. Second reading of the Bill due in 2022. 
• The proposed Strategic Planning Act (SPA) provides a strategic and long-term approach to how we plan for using land and the coastal marine area. It is meant to be developed alongside the NBA but little information is available publicly.  

Upcoming:

• He Waka Eke Noa. “Working together with farmers and growers on practical solutions to reduce Aotearoa’s emissions and build resilience to climate change.” Pricing system recommendations will be presented to Ministers by the end of May 2022.
• Fisheries Amendment Bill. Submissions due 17 June 2022. Referenced in NAP, “The Bill will allow for more agile and streamlined decision making in response to changes in fish stock abundance, due to the effects of climate change, by enabling development of the pre-set decisions rules.” Expected to be passed 2024. 
• National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity. “Decisions on the release of an exposure draft of the NPSIB will now be made in the first half of 2022“. Page 45 of the NAP states “Implement the proposed National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity.”  
• Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill – This bill restructures the DHB and will establish the Māori Health Authority. It is scheduled to pass its final reading soon. The NAP makes many references to health including “Continue with the reform of the health and disability system.”

Other legislation and work that may be relevant:

• Three Waters Reform Programme. Referenced in NAP “Reform institutional arrangements for water services” p 28. Bill to be introduced to House mid-2022. Entities created by 2024.
• New Emergency Management Act by August 2024. 
• Changes to welfare legislation are alluded to in the NAP.
• Aquaculture Strategy. Implementation of this is mentioned in the NAP.
• Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill. Members bill seeking to repeal and replace the current law relating to Māori land. Has not had its first reading. 
• Natural Hazards Insurance Bill. Updates the Earthquake Commission to a Natural Hazards Commission for insurance post natural hazard events. Report due September 2022. 
• Partial Reviews of the Conservation General Policy and General Policy for National Parks regarding the Treaty of Waitangi. Report put together for the Department of Conservation that proposes fundamental reform to the conservation estate. Consultation on wider conservation reform due at the end of 2022. 

An overview of the Climate Change Commission’s schedule of work can be found here.