Pūtaiao Facts & Science
Pūtaiao Facts and Science

This section contains information about the state of New Zealand's environment and the work we do using science and data.

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Science and data at MfE

Environmental reporting

Air

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Climate Change

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He mahi ka taea e koe What you can do
He mahi ka taea e koe What you can do

Actions you can take as part of making our environment in Aotearoa flourish.

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Assessments for carbon removals

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Take action – Te reo Māori

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Ā mātou mahi What we are doing
Ā mātou mahi What government is doing

The role of central government and the work we are doing to reduce our impact on the environment.

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Areas of work

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Who does what on the environment

Cabinet papers and regulatory impact statements
Te ao Māori The Māori world
Te ao Māori The Māori world

Incorporating te ao Māori into our work is valuable to all of Aotearoa. We acknowledge the role of tangata whenua to help create a flourishing environment for every generation.

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Mātauranga Māori and the Ministry

Te timatanga o te ao Māori

The Treaty and the Ministry
Ngā Ture Acts & regulations
Ngā Ture Acts and regulations

Find out about Acts, national policy statements, national environmental standards and other regulations we administer.

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Acts and Bills

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Essential Freshwater policies and regulations implementation guidance

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Legislation

Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Amendment Bill

Under development

This legislation is not finalised or in force.

The Government is progressing work to improve New Zealand’s system for managing hazardous substances and new organisms through a Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Amendment Bill (HSNO Amendment Bill).

This page provides an overview of the reform work and links to key information and documents that have been proactively released.

Last updated: 12 May 2026

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About the HSNO Amendment Bill

Why changes are being considered

Supporting information and documents

The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO Act) provides the legislative framework for managing hazardous substances and new organisms in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Find out more about the HSNO Act.

The HSNO Amendment Bill was introduced to Parliament on 11 May 2026. It proposes targeted amendments to the HSNO Act to ensure the HSNO regulatory system remains fit for purpose and operates effectively in practice, while maintaining its core purpose of protecting human health and the environment.

The proposed amendments focus on improving the workability of the legislation in practice, while maintaining existing protections.

Review and regulatory stewardship work, including the Agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review led by the Ministry for Regulation, identified opportunities to:

modernise regulatory tools and processes
improve efficiency, clarity, and consistency in decision‑making
ensure the system remains responsive to changing risks, technologies, and regulatory needs.

More information on the Review is available on the Ministry for Regulation website.

The Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry for Regulation have released documents supporting the development of the HSNO Amendment Bill. These documents provide background on the policy rationale, options considered, and regulatory impact analysis.

Parliamentary information

Information about the HSNO Amendment Bill and its legislative process can be found below.

Proactive releases