Abstract
Clean air is a human right. Air pollution is estimated to result in more than 3,000 premature deaths in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) each year.
NZ has had health-based national environmental standards for air quality since 2004, which set limits that must not be breached to guarantee a minimum level of health protection for all New Zealanders.
The NZ Government is replacing the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) with two new laws: the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill, with the latter focussing on managing and protecting the natural environment.
Worryingly, the Select Committee is recommending that the Minister be allowed to authorise breaches of environmental limits, including those covering air quality – making these limits meaningless.
We do not believe that the fundamental right of New Zealanders to breathe clean air should be subject to Ministerial discretion, and recommend that the Natural Environment Bill be sent back to the Select Committee for further consideration.