Committee recommends disestablishing Environment Ministry despite public opposition

The Environment Select Committee has recommended disestablishing the Ministry for the Environment, despite overwhelming public opposition.

In its report, the committee said the creation of a new Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport mega ministry under a bill currently before Parliament would not significantly change the functions of the current ministry.

The committee received 588 written submissions. All but five submissions were overtly opposed to the bill.

It has recommended by majority that the bill be passed, despite strong opposition from Labour and Green Party members.

The Green Party members slammed the bill as ''yet another action by the most anti-environment government that Aotearoa New Zealand has ever had.''

The Labour Party members said they were ''appalled by the constant attacks on the environment by this government.''

Greens environment spokesperson Lan Pham said the government's plan to get rid of the Ministry is ''an absolute travesty for New Zealand."

''The Ministry for the Environment was established because years ago New Zealanders decided that a voice for the environment at the heart of government was actually essential. It was established at the same time as the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, reflecting how important New Zealanders believed environmental oversight should be," she said.

''Now, this government is pushing to bury that Ministry inside a mega-ministry focused on development and economic growth, despite no party campaigning on this and overwhelming opposition from experts, iwi and communities."

Pham also raised concerns about transparency.

''We had no assurance as a Select Committee, for example, that expenditure that comes from government that goes towards the Ministry for the Environment will actually be transparent and clear."

The bill is expected to return to Parliament for its second reading on Tuesday.

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