Environmental Protection Authority (Protection of Environment) Amendment Bill

Environmental Protection Authority (Protection of Environment) Amendment Bill EXPLANATORY NOTE GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT This Bill amends the Environmental Protection Authority Act 2011 (the Act ) to add an additional objective that the organisation must aim to protect, maintain, and enhance New Zealand’s environment. When the Act was passed, the stated objective of the Environmental Protection Authority contained an important oversight in that it did not actually require the protection of the environment as part of the Authority’s role. This Bill corrects that defect. CLAUSE BY CLAUSE ANALYSIS Clause 1 is the Title clause. Clause 2 is the commencement clause. It provides for the Bill to come into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent. Clause 3 provides that the Bill amends the Environmental Protection Authority Act 2011 (the principal Act ). Clause 4 amends section 12, which sets out the objective of the Environmental Protection Authority, by inserting protecting, maintaining, and enhancing New Zealand's environment as an objective of the Authority. The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows: 1 Title This Act is the Environmental Protection Authority (Protection of Environment) Amendment Act 2012 . 2 Commencement This Act comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent. 3 Principal Act This Act amends the Environmental Protection Authority Act 2011 (the principal Act ). 4 Section 12 amended (Objective of EPA) In section 12(1)(b), after obligations , insert ; and . In section 12(1), after paragraph (b), insert: c protects, maintains, and enhances New Zealand's environment.