NZAIA's submission to the Environment Committee: Inquiry into Climate Adaptation (1 Nov 2023)
The National Adaptation Plan emphasises better risk-informed decisions. However, while risk assessments identify problems to be solved and may point to possible solutions, NZAIA believes it is still vital to ask: will the proposed solution lead to significant adverse impacts on people, their social and cultural wellbeing, and/or the natural environment? We urge the use of appropriate impact assessment methods, such as strategic environmental assessment, to inform adaptation decisions, especially at the regional level.
NZAIA's submission to the Environment Committee: Inquiry into Seabed mining in New Zealand (1 Nov 2023)
It is essential that New Zealand retains, and improves on, the existing provisions for environmental impact assessment of sea bed mining proposals. But these need to be complemented by spatial planning approaches that include provisions for strategic environmental assessment. This would signal New Zealand’s role as a leader in protecting marine biodiversity and the health of marine ecosystems.