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Environmental and resource management law is a major component of modern legal practice. A key factor in the development of the law was the introduction of two pieces of legislation - the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996. Both Acts have been amended frequently since their enactment including the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009. New legislation and other central government initiatives continue to affect legal practice in the field, some examples of which include the establishment of an Emissions Trading Scheme and Registry under the Climate Change Response Act 2002, the enactment of the Environmental Protection Authority Act 2011 establishing the EPA as a stand-alone Crown entity with roles under both the RMA and HASNO and the passing of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011. The courts, especially the Environment Court and High Court, have issued decisions which will influence the interpretation and application of our environment laws in a significant manner, including key issues such as visual and landscape effects, the priority between competing resource consents applications and the extent to which alternative sites need to be considered. It is no coincidence that one of the first decisions of the Supreme Court was on the RMA notification provisions.

All of these changes have necessitated a fourth edition of this text which brings the law current up to mid 2011.

The fourth edition has expanded to 20 chapters to provide comprehensive coverage of New Zealand's legislation and case law in the environmental and resource management law field. Two new chapters - Climate Change and Landscape and Visual - are included, as these topics deserve a greater focus than previously, but all chapters have been substantially updated. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to modern environmental law, its sources and institutions, before turning to focus on the Resource Management Act 1991. A wide range of substantive topics are also addressed; for example, land use and subdivision, the coastal environment, forests, mining and petroleum, water, marine pollution, air, hazardous substances, new organisms, noise, Maori and environmental law, heritage, landscape and visual and climate change. Separate chapters follow on environmental assessment, environmental litigation and statutory remedies.

This book is intended primarily for legal and other practitioners working in environmental and resource management law, but will also be useful for students, since it covers the same ground as many environmental and resource management law courses taught in New Zealand universities and other educational institutions.  

NZ Lawyer Issue #184 Review
LAWTALK Issue #800 - Review

Related Texts
Resource Management Bulletin
Local Government in Practice

Chapter 1: Introduction to environmental law

Chapter 2: The sources and institutions of environmental law

Chapter 3: Resource Management Act 1991

Chapter 4: Land use and subdivision ? resource consent procedures, designations and appeals

Chapter 5: The coastal environment

Chapter 6: Forests, trees, and native plants

Chapter 7: Mining and petroleum

Chapter 8: Water

Chapter 9: Marine pollution

Chapter 10: Air

Chapter 11: Hazardous substances

Chapter 12: New organisms

Chapter 13: Noise

Chapter 14: Maori and environmental law

Chapter 15: Heritage

Chapter 16: Landscape and visual

Chapter 17: Climate Change

Chapter 18: Environmental assessment

Chapter 19: Environmental litigation and dispute resolution

Chapter 20: Statutory remedies: the enforcement provisions of the RMA 1991