This package contains documents relating to the Cabinet decision to extend the expiry date of resource consents to align with the reform of the Resource Management Act 1991.

The Government has introduced legislation to amend the Resource Management Act and reduce the minimum housing capacity required for Auckland Council’s Plan Change 120, Housing and RMA Reform.

Development of New Zealand’s Flood Map has moved to the next stage, with a contractor now on board to set up how we bring together local, regional, and national data.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment addressed the Dairy Environment Leaders 2026 Forum. He recognised the environmental endeavours of the sector – but called for increased effort to halt declining trends in water quality, emissions and catchment health.

The Government has released a new national strategy to support the future development of geothermal energy.

From October to December 2025, New Zealand set a record high of 96.4% of electricity generation coming from renewable sources.

New Zealand firm Todd Energy has been selected as the preferred lead contractor to drill New Zealand’s first exploratory superdeep, superhot geothermal well, which – if successful – could bring about a step change in New Zealand’s energy supply.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has made a submission to the Environment Select Committee on the Environment (Disestablishment of Ministry for the Environment) Amendment Bill.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment wrote to Hon Simon Watts, Minister for Energy, outlining his concerns about the Government’s proposal to support the construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility.

New Zealand’s first national wastewater environmental standards became law late last year. As the standards begin to be implemented, some questions and misconceptions have emerged.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment underscored the importance of communicating environmental complexity effectively in his address to the Capital City Complex Systems Symposium 2026.