Timeline of environmental history of New Zealand

This is a timeline of environmental history of New Zealand. These events relate to the more notable events affecting the natural environment

Natural environment

The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....

of New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

as a result of human

Human

Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...

activity.

Pre 1800s

14th century- — Arrival of Māori who brought with them the kiore

Polynesian Rat

The Polynesian Rat, or Pacific Rat , known to the Māori as kiore, is the third most widespread species of rat in the world behind the Brown Rat and Black Rat. The Polynesian Rat originates in Southeast Asia but, like its cousins, has become well travelled – infiltrating Fiji and most Polynesian...

rat.

16th century — Final extinction of all eleven species of Moa

Moa

The moa were eleven species of flightless birds endemic to New Zealand. The two largest species, Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae, reached about in height with neck outstretched, and weighed about ....

.

1642 — Tasman

Abel Tasman

Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the VOC . His was the first known European expedition to reach the islands of Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand and to sight the Fiji islands...

is first European to reach New Zealand.

1769 — New Zealand mapped by James Cook

James Cook

Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...

, and the Norway rat

Brown Rat

The brown rat, common rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Brown Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat is one of the best known and most common rats....

believed to have arrived in New Zealand aboard his ship, the Endeavour

HM Bark Endeavour

HMS Endeavour, also known as HM Bark Endeavour, was a British Royal Navy research vessel commanded by Lieutenant James Cook on his first voyage of discovery, to Australia and New Zealand from 1769 to 1771....

.

1790s — Sealers and whalers arrive.

1800s

Gorse
Gorse
Gorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...

introduced as hedging plant.
Rabbits introduced
Sheep and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

introduced.

1860s

Ship rat spreads throughout North Island.

1860

Australian Magpie
Australian Magpie
The Australian Magpie is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. A member of the Artamidae, it is closely related to the butcherbirds...

introduced.

1861

The Protection of Certain Animals Act passed - legislated that: "No Deer of any kind, Hare, Swan, Partridge, English Plover, Rook, Starling, Thrush or Blackbird" could be shot for the rest of the decade.

1864

Wild Birds Protection Act - legislated that: "No Wild Duck, Paradise Duck, or Pigeon indigenous in the colony shall be hunted, taken, or killed except during the months of April, May, June, and July in any year".

1867

Trout and Salmon Protection Act passed - made provision for "the preservation and propagation of Salmon and Trout in this Colony".

1870s

Ship rat spreads throughout the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

.
Rook
Rook (bird)
The Rook is a member of the Corvidae family in the passerine order of birds. Named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, the species name frugilegus is Latin for "food-gathering"....

introduced from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

1870

Hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...

s, which devour large quantities of insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...

s, are introduced.

1875

Seal hunting restricted to a short annual season.

1876

Rabbit Nuisance Act passed.

1879

Ferret
Ferret
The ferret is a domesticated mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur...

s introduced to control rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...

s even after warnings were made of their effects on bird life.

1880s

1882

Small Birds Nuisance Act passed.

1885

Stoat
Stoat
The stoat , also known as the ermine or short-tailed weasel, is a species of Mustelid native to Eurasia and North America, distinguished from the least weasel by its larger size and longer tail with a prominent black tip...

s and weasel
Weasel
Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....

s are liberated as a misguided attempt to control rabbits.

1887

23 September—Te Heuheu gifts Ruapehu
Mount Ruapehu
Mount Ruapehu, or just Ruapehu, is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand. It is 23 kilometres northeast of Ohakune and 40 kilometres southwest of the southern shore of Lake Taupo, within Tongariro National Park...

, Tongariro
Mount Tongariro
Mount Tongariro is a volcanic complex in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 20 kilometres to the southwest of Lake Taupo, and is the northernmost of the three active volcanoes that dominate the landscape of the central North Island....

and Ngauruhoe
Mount Ngauruhoe
Mount Ngauruhoe is an active stratovolcano or composite cone in New Zealand, made from layers of lava and tephra. It is the youngest vent in the Tongariro volcanic complex on the Central Plateau of the North Island, and first erupted about 2,500 years ago...

to people of New Zealand.

1890s

1890

An area of land, that will become the Trounson Kauri Park, is set aside by the Government. http://www.doc.govt.nz/Conservation/Showcase-Areas/Trounson-Kauri-Park.asp

1893

Rainbow trout successfully introduced by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society.

1894

Protection of fur seal
Fur seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds in the Otariidae family. One species, the northern fur seal inhabits the North Pacific, while seven species in the Arctocephalus genus are found primarily in the Southern hemisphere...

population due to declining numbers.
The Stephens Island Wren
Stephens Island Wren
The Stephens Island Wren or Lyall's Wren was a nocturnal, flightless, insectivorous passerine.-Habitat:...

is made extinct by the lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....

keeper's cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...

.
Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as one of the 28 mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Sites....

Act passed.

1897

Kapiti Island
Kapiti Island
-External links:* , Department of Conservation* * , Nature Coast Enterprise *...

is designated as an island reserve.

1900s

1900

- Egmont National Park
  Egmont National Park
  Egmont National Park is located south of New Plymouth, close to the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the mountain which dominates its environs, which itself was named by Captain Cook after John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont, the First Lord of the Admiralty who...
  
  established

1901

Noxious Weeds Act passed

1903

Scenery Preservation Act passed.

1904

Scenery Preservation Commission appointed.

1907

Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as one of the 28 mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Sites....

is formally gazetted.
Last known huia
Huia
The Huia was the largest species of New Zealand wattlebird and was endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. Its extinction in the early 20th century had two primary causes. The first was rampant overhunting to procure Huia skins for mounted specimens, which were in worldwide demand by...

sighted and then shot.

1920s

1921

Herbert Guthrie-Smith
Herbert Guthrie-Smith
William Herbert Guthrie-Smith was a New Zealand farmer, author and conservationist.His book, Tutira: the story of a New Zealand sheep station, published in 1921, documented the impact of humans on New Zealand's environment in an easy reading, non-scientific yet accurate manner.He documented the...

s Tutira: The Story of a New Zealand Sheep Station is published.
Animals Protection and Game Act 1921-22

1923

The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand
Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand
The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. is an environmental organisation specialising in conservation of indigenous plant and animal life in and around New Zealand....

is formed.

1929

Attempt made to protect bush
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...

in an area near what will be the Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park is a national park located at the north end of the South Island of New Zealand. The park was founded in 1942, largely through the efforts of ornithologist and author Perrine Moncrieff to have land reserved for the purpose. With a coverage of only 225.3 square kilometres,...

.

1940s

1941

Soil and Rivers Control Act was enforced. This was the first piece of coordinated environmental legislation in New Zealand.

1942

Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park
Abel Tasman National Park is a national park located at the north end of the South Island of New Zealand. The park was founded in 1942, largely through the efforts of ornithologist and author Perrine Moncrieff to have land reserved for the purpose. With a coverage of only 225.3 square kilometres,...

established.

1946

Possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...

s no longer protected.

1948

Takahe
Takahe
The Takahē or South Island Takahē, Porphyrio hochstetteri is a flightless bird indigenous to New Zealand and belonging to the rail family. It was thought to be extinct after the last four known specimens were taken in 1898...

rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains in Fiordland
Fiordland
Fiordland is a geographic region of New Zealand that is situated on the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western-most third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes and its ocean-flooded, steep western valleys...

.

1949

Forest Act 1949 is passed.

1950s

1952

Waipoua Forest
Waipoua Forest
Waipoua Forest preserves some of the best examples of kauri forest remaining in New Zealand. It is notable for having two of the largest living kauri trees, Tane Mahuta and Te Matua Ngahere.The forest was declared a sanctuary in 1952....

Sanctuary formed.
Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park occupies the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 14 national parks in New Zealand, with an area of 12,500 km², and a major part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...

established.

1953

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand near the town of Twizel. Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain and Aoraki/Mount Cook village lie within the park...

established.
Wildlife Act 1953 is passed.

1954

Trials on usage on 1080 in New Zealand
1080 usage in New Zealand
New Zealand is the largest user of biodegradable 1080 poison, using approximately 80 per cent of the world's supply. Biodegradable 1080 poison is the only toxin currently registered for use on mainland New Zealand as suitable for aerial targeting of the Common Brushtail Possum - a major...

begin
28 July — Te Urewera National Park
Te Urewera National Park
Te Urewera National Park is one of fourteen national parks within New Zealand and is the largest of the four in the North Island. Covering an area of approximately 2,127 km², it is in the north east of the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island....

gazetted. Additions made later.

1960s

1964

Mount Aspiring National Park
Mount Aspiring National Park
Mount Aspiring National Park is located in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, north of Fiordland National Park, and between Otago and south Westland. The park forms part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site.-Geography:...

established.

1965

Hydro dam proposed at Tuapeka River
Tuapeka River
The Tuapeka River is located in Otago in the South Island of New Zealand. It is a tributary of the Clutha River, which it joins at Tuapeka Mouth between Roxburgh and Balclutha....

mouth is opposed by local residents.

1967

Rudd
Rudd
The common rudd Scardinius erythropthalmus is a bentho-pelagic freshwater fish, widely spread in Europe and middle Asia, around the basins of the North, Baltic, Black, Caspian and Aral seas.-Artificially introduced:...

is illegally introduced into New Zealand.

1967

Water and Soil Conservation Act was enforced.

1969

Save Manapouri Campaign
Save Manapouri Campaign
The Save Manapouri Campaign was an environmental campaign waged between 1959 and 1972 in New Zealand to prevent the raising of the levels of lakes Manapouri and Te Anau as part of the construction of the Manapouri Power Project....

gains nationwide headlines.

1970s

1970

264,907 New Zealanders, almost 10 percent of the population, sign the Save Manapouri
Save Manapouri Campaign
The Save Manapouri Campaign was an environmental campaign waged between 1959 and 1972 in New Zealand to prevent the raising of the levels of lakes Manapouri and Te Anau as part of the construction of the Manapouri Power Project....

petition
Environmental Defence Society
Environmental Defence Society
Environmental Defence Society is a not for profit environmental organisation based in Auckland, New Zealand.It focuses on issues surrounding the Resource Management Act and is made up of resource management professionals who are committed to improving environmental outcomes within New...

is formed.

1971

CoEnCo
Environment and Conservation Organisations of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Environment and Conservation Organisations of Aotearoa New Zealand was formed in 1971 under the name of CoEnCo and changed its name to ECO in 1976....

formed

1972

Values Party
Values Party
The Values Party, considered the world's first national-level environmentalist party that pre-dated any fashionable Green terminology, was established in 1972 at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, one of its initial leaders being Tony Brunt...

formed at Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...

1973

Government decides to put South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...

forests up for tender for chipping.

1974

Greenpeace New Zealand
Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand
Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand is one of New Zealand's largest environmental organisations, and is a national office of the global environmental organisation Greenpeace.-History:...

formed.
The Save Aramoana Campaign
Save Aramoana Campaign
The Save Aramoana Campaign was formed in 1974 to oppose a proposed aluminium smelter at Aramoana in New Zealand.In the late 1970s Aramoana was proposed as the site of a major aluminium smelter by a consortium of New Zealand-based Fletcher-Challenge, Australia's CSR Limited and Swiss firm Alusuisse...

is formed

1975

4 July - The Maruia Declaration
Maruia Declaration
The Maruia Declaration was a public petition calling for the immediate phasing out of the logging of virgin native forest in New Zealand.In 1977 environmental groups presented the petition to Parliament carrying 341,160 signatures. It repeated and expanded on previous recommendations in 1937 by...

, calling for protection of native forests, is signed. It attracted 341,160 signatures by the time it was presented to Parliament in 1977.

1976

CoEnCo renamed as ECO
Environment and Conservation Organisations of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Environment and Conservation Organisations of Aotearoa New Zealand was formed in 1971 under the name of CoEnCo and changed its name to ECO in 1976....

1977

The "Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone Act" is passed.
Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Act set up to encourage the protection of private land from development.
20 July - The Maruia Declaration
Maruia Declaration
The Maruia Declaration was a public petition calling for the immediate phasing out of the logging of virgin native forest in New Zealand.In 1977 environmental groups presented the petition to Parliament carrying 341,160 signatures. It repeated and expanded on previous recommendations in 1937 by...

with a 341,159 signature petition is presented to Government.
23 December — The Reserves Act is passed (includes provision for Wilderness Areas)

23 December — Wild Animal Control Act passed ]

1978

Tree top protest in Pureora Forest to halt the logging of native forest.
1 April — Reserves Act comes into force

1979

Five black robin
Black Robin
The Black Robin or Chatham Island Robin is an endangered bird from the Chatham Islands off the east coast of New Zealand. It is closely related to the New Zealand Robin . It was first described by Walter Buller in 1872. The binomial commemorates the New Zealand botanist Henry H. Travers...

s left but saved from extinction by Don Merton
Don Merton
Donald Merton, QSM was a New Zealand conservationist best known for saving the black robin from extinction. He also discovered the lek breeding system of the kakapo....

and team.
1 January — Marine Mammals Protection Act came into force.

1980s

1980

Protests over a proposed aluminium smelter at Aramoana
Aramoana
Aramoana, also known as "The Spit" to locals, is a small coastal settlement, 27 kilometres north of Dunedin city, in the South Island of New Zealand. The settlement's permanent population in 2001 Census was 261. Supplementing this are seasonal visitors from the city who occupy cribs...

. See also: Independent State of Aramoana.
Clyde Dam
Clyde Dam
The Clyde Dam, New Zealand's third largest hydroelectric dam, is built on the Clutha River near the town of Clyde. It is owned and operated by Contact Energy.-History:...

protests.
Native Forest Restoration Trust
Native Forest Restoration Trust
Founded in 1980, the New Zealand Native Forests Restoration Trust is an organisation involved in forest restoration.Since then, the Trust has acquired land at the rate of 250 ha per year to protect important species, restore their habitats and to improve the quality of waterways...

established to purchase and protect native forests.
The National Parks Act was enforced.

1982

The approval of the water rights necessary for the high Clyde Dam
Clyde Dam
The Clyde Dam, New Zealand's third largest hydroelectric dam, is built on the Clutha River near the town of Clyde. It is owned and operated by Contact Energy.-History:...

is overturned on appeal in Gilmore v. National Water and Soil Conservation Authority (1982)
The National Government enacts the Clutha Development (Clyde Dam Empowering) Act 1982 to overturn the High Court case refusing water rights.

1983

1 October — Fisheries Act comes into force (establishes a fishing quota system).

1984

New Zealand's nuclear-free zone
New Zealand's nuclear-free zone
In 1984, Prime Minister David Lange barred nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships from using New Zealand ports or entering New Zealand waters. Under the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987, territorial sea, land and airspace of New Zealand became nuclear-free zones...

declared by the Labour Government
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

.

1985

10 July — Bombing of Rainbow Warrior
Rainbow Warrior (1978)
The Rainbow Warrior was a former UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food trawler later purchased by the environmental organisation Greenpeace...

by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

secret agents.

1986

Environment Act
Environment Act 1986
The Environment Act 1986 established the Ministry for the Environment and the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.-References:* .*...

passed (establishes Ministry for the Environment (MfE)
Ministry for the Environment
Ministry for the Environment may refer to:* Ministry for the Environment * Ministry for the Environment * Ministry for the Environment...

and Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE)
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment is an independent Officer of the New Zealand Parliament appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the House of Representatives for a five-year term under the Environment Act 1986...

) ]
Quota Management System
Quota Management System
The Quota Management System is a type of individual fishing quota that is used in New Zealand to manage fish stocks.It is the first ever property-based fisheries management system to be implemented.-External links:* – The Quota Management System...

(QMS) introduced to conserve fish stocks within the Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...

.
Kea
Kea
The Kea is a large species of parrot found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings and has a large narrow curved grey-brown upper beak. The Kea is the world's only alpine parrot...

are given full protection.
West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...

Accord signed for the protection of portions of native forest from logging.

1987

Paparoa National Park
Paparoa National Park
Paparoa National Park is on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand.It was established in 1987 and encompasses 306 km². The park ranges from on or near the coastline to the peak of the Paparoa Ranges. A separate section of the park is to the north and is centered at Ananui Creek.The...

established.
1 January — Environment Act comes into force
1 April — Conservation Act comes into force (establishes DoC, Fish and Game)

1989

The Tasman Accord
Tasman Accord
The Tasman Accord was signed in 1989 by Tasman Forestry Ltd, environmental groups and the Government....

is signed between Tasman Forestry Ltd environmental goups and the Government.
1 June — Trade in Endangered Species Act comes into force (CITES)

1990s

1990

Banning of wood chip exports.
Creation of Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park
Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand, located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as one of the 28 mixed cultural and natural World Heritage Sites....

World Heritage site.
Creation of Te Wahipounamu
Te Wahipounamu
Te Wāhipounamu is a World Heritage site in the south west corner of the South Island of New Zealand.Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1990 and covering 26,000 km², the site incorporates several National Parks:...

World Heritage site.]
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party that has seats in the New Zealand parliament. It focuses firstly on environmentalism, arguing that all other aspects of humanity will cease to be of concern if there is no environment to sustain it...

is formed.
Establishment of the Forest Heritage Fund (later renamed "Nature Heritage Fund
Nature Heritage Fund
The Nature Heritage Fund is a New Zealand Government funding body set up in 1990 for the purchase of land which has significant ecological or landscape features.It is administered by the Department of Conservation...

").
Ministry for the Environment Green Ribbon Award established

1991

Protests over the mining of ilmenite
Ilmenite
Ilmenite is a weakly magnetic titanium-iron oxide mineral which is iron-black or steel-gray. It is a crystalline iron titanium oxide . It crystallizes in the trigonal system, and it has the same crystal structure as corundum and hematite....

on the West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...

.
Resource Management Act 1991 passed into law.
Crown Minerals Act 1991 is passed.

1993

Biosecurity Act 1993
Biosecurity Act 1993
Biosecurity Act 1993 is an Act of Parliament in New Zealand passed in order to prevent pests and other unwanted organisms. It was a world first.Part 5 of the Act provides for a National Pest Management Strategy and Regional Pest Management Strategy....

is passed.
Forests Act 1949 is amended.
Forest and Bird
Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand
The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. is an environmental organisation specialising in conservation of indigenous plant and animal life in and around New Zealand....

develop the Forest Friendly Awards to classify invasive
Invasive species in New Zealand
A number of introduced species, some of which have become invasive species, have been added to New Zealand's native flora and fauna.Both deliberate and accidental introductions have been made from the time of the first human settlement with several waves of Polynesian people at some time before the...

garden plants.
9 June - New Zealand Post
New Zealand Post
New Zealand Post, commonly referred by its acronym, NZPost is a State owned enterprise responsible for providing postal service in New Zealand.-History:...

issues a set of stamps on conservation
Conservation ethic
Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Secondary focus is on materials conservation and energy conservation, which are seen as important to...

.
15 November - A West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...

environmentalist claims his house was the target of arson due to his anti-mining stance.

1994

Rats eradicated from Kapiti Island
Kapiti Island
-External links:* , Department of Conservation* * , Nature Coast Enterprise *...

.
Resource consent given to mine sand in Mangawhai
Mangawhai
Mangawhai is a locality in Northland, New Zealand around the Mangawhai Harbour. The township of Mangawhai is at the south west extent of the harbour, and the township of Mangawhai Heads is 5 km north east...

Harbour.
Basel Convention
Basel Convention
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known simply as the Basel Convention, is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of...

comes into force in New Zealand.

1996

Environment Court, formerly called the Planning Tribunal, is constituted by the RM Amendment Act 1996 with upgraded powers
Kahurangi National Park
Kahurangi National Park
Kahurangi National Park is a national park in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It was gazetted in 1996 and covers 4,520 km². It is the second largest of New Zealand's fourteen national parks...

gazetted.
Fisheries Act 1996 is passed (though parts of it come into force only spasmodically over the next few years).
Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 is passed.
Ozone Protection Layer Act 1996 is passed.

1997

Native Forest Action
Native Forest Action
Native Forest Action was set up protect the publicly owned native forests of the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand from logging....

commences lobbying to save West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...

forests.
Wild Greens group formed.
Zerowaste Trust established.

1998

Creation of New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands World Heritage site.
22 May - New Zealand signs the Kyoto Protocol.

1999

Labour
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

/Alliance
Alliance (New Zealand political party)
The Alliance is a left-wing political party in New Zealand. It was formed in 1991, and was influential in the 1990s, but has since declined and has no representation in parliament. It suffered a major setback after Jim Anderton, the party's leader, left the party in 2002, taking several of the...

coalition Government
New Zealand general election, 1999
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance...

gains power paving the way for protection of West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...

native forests.
New Zealand Department of Conservation
New Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...

publishes "Karst Management Guidelines" to assist with cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...

and karst
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...

protection.
Karori Wildlife Sanctuary
Karori Wildlife Sanctuary
Zealandia, formerly known as the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, is a protected natural area in Wellington, New Zealand, where the biodiversity of 225 ha of forest is being restored...

construction completed, limited public access available.
Proposed West Coast ilmenite
Ilmenite
Ilmenite is a weakly magnetic titanium-iron oxide mineral which is iron-black or steel-gray. It is a crystalline iron titanium oxide . It crystallizes in the trigonal system, and it has the same crystal structure as corundum and hematite....

mine project is abandoned. (The Press
The Press
The Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is owned by Fairfax Media.- History :The Press was first published on 25 May 1861 from a small cottage in Montreal Street, making it the oldest surviving newspaper in the South Island of New Zealand. The first...

- 6 February 1999)

2000s

2000

A gondola is proposed from Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu is an inland lake in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of Otago Region, near its boundary with Southland.With a length of , it is New Zealand's longest lake, and, at , its third largest...

area to the Milford Sound
Milford Sound
Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...

road.
Varroa
Varroa
Varroa is a genus of parasitic mites associated with honey bees, placed in its own family, Varroidae. The genus was named for Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar who was also a beekeeper.-History and behavior:...

bee mite discovered in New Zealand.
West Coast loop road through conservation land is promoted by group of South Island mayors.
15 June Biotech lobby group Life Sciences Network web site goes live. http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/SC0006/S00006.htm

2001

Moratorium on new marine farming applications, initially for two years.
Forest restoration on the Kapiti Coast
Kapiti Coast
The Kapiti Coast is the name of the section of the coast of the south-western North Island of New Zealand that is north of Wellington and opposite Kapiti Island. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Regional Council...

.
National Pest Plant Accord
National Pest Plant Accord
The National Pest Plant Accord identifies pest plants that are prohibited from sale and commercial propagation and distribution across New Zealand....

is developed to prevent the spread of invasive
Invasive species in New Zealand
A number of introduced species, some of which have become invasive species, have been added to New Zealand's native flora and fauna.Both deliberate and accidental introductions have been made from the time of the first human settlement with several waves of Polynesian people at some time before the...

plants.
German tourist fined for smuggling a gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....

.
30 May — Government announces transfer of all Timberlands
Timberlands West Coast Limited
Timberlands West Coast Limited is a New Zealand state-owned enterprise based on the West Coast.It was formed to manage the native and exotic forests on the West Coast of the defunct New Zealand Forest Service....

managed forests to DoC
New Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...

.
18 August — Macraes mine extension turned down by Sandra Lee-Vercoe
Sandra Lee-Vercoe
Sandra Rose Te Hakamatua Lee-Vercoe QSO is a former New Zealand politician and diplomat. She served as deputy leader of the Alliance party, and was later High Commissioner to Niue.-Early life:...

, the Minister of Conservation.
21 October - The Waigani Convention came into force.

2002

Rakiura National Park
Rakiura National Park
Rakiura National Park is a nature reserve park located on Stewart Island/Rakiura, New Zealand. It is the 14th of New Zealand's national parks and was officially opened on 9 March 2002. It covers 1,570 km², which is about 85% of Stewart Island, New Zealand's third-largest island...

established.
New Zealand Waste Strategy released by the Ministry for the Environment
Ministry for the Environment
Ministry for the Environment may refer to:* Ministry for the Environment * Ministry for the Environment * Ministry for the Environment...

.
Ferret
Ferret
The ferret is a domesticated mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur...

s no longer able to be legally bred, sold or distributed.
25 January — New Zealand Environment magazine launched.
22 December - New Zealand ratifies the Kyoto Protocol.

2003

Govt³
Govt3
Govt3 was a sustainability programme operated by the New Zealand government. It was managed by the Ministry for the Environment. "Govt" stands for government and "3" stands for the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic....

, a sustainability progeamme for government department, is established
YHA
YHA
YHA may refer to:* YHA Australia, a youth hostel association in Australia* Youth Hostels Association , a youth hostel charity in the United Kingdom* Youth Hostel Association of New Zealand, a youth hostel association in New Zealand...

started a Young Environmentalist programme.
The WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...

Living Planet report ranks New Zealand fourteenth largest per capita ecological footprint
Ecological footprint
The ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It is a standardized measure of demand for natural capital that may be contrasted with the planet's ecological capacity to regenerate. It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area necessary to...

.
24 April — New Zealand population tops 4,000,000.
26 May — Campbell Island
Campbell Island, New Zealand
Campbell Island is a remote, subantarctic island of New Zealand and the main island of the Campbell Island group. It covers of the group's , and is surrounded by numerous stacks, rocks and islets like Dent Island, Folly Island , Isle de Jeanette Marie, and Jacquemart Island, the latter being the...

declared rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...

free.
26 May — Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (New Zealand)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the state sector organisation of New Zealand which deals with matters relating to agriculture, forestry and biosecurity...

, Ministry for the Environment
Ministry for the Environment
Ministry for the Environment may refer to:* Ministry for the Environment * Ministry for the Environment * Ministry for the Environment...

, and Fonterra
Fonterra
Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited is a New Zealand multinational dairy co-operative owned by almost 10,500 New Zealand farmers. The company is responsible for approximately 30% of the world's dairy exports and with revenue exceeding NZ$19.87 billion, is New Zealand's largest company.- History :In...

sign the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord
Dairying and Clean Streams Accord
The Dairying and Clean Streams Accord is an agreement signed in 2003 in New Zealand between Fonterra, Ministry for the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and regional councils...

.
June — Consultation is sought on a Agricultural emissions research levy (commonly called the "flatulence tax" or "fart tax").
5 September — New Zealand Environment magazine discontinued.
11 September - Environment Minister addresses pollution in the Rotorua
Rotorua
Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...

lakes.
31 October — Businessman jailed for clearing native bush
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...

(this has set a legal precedent)

2004

Rock snot, (Didymosphenia geminata
Didymosphenia geminata
Didymosphenia geminata, commonly known as didymo or rock snot, is a species of diatom that grows in warm and shallow water. If it overgrows, it can form large mats on the bottom of lakes, rivers and streams. It is not considered a significant human health risk, but it can affect stream habitats and...

), an invasive freshwater weed is found in some New Zealand rivers.
Group to proceed with the Milford Gondola
Gondola
The gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian Lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in...

.
Nitrate
Nitrate
The nitrate ion is a polyatomic ion with the molecular formula NO and a molecular mass of 62.0049 g/mol. It is the conjugate base of nitric acid, consisting of one central nitrogen atom surrounded by three identically-bonded oxygen atoms in a trigonal planar arrangement. The nitrate ion carries a...

s an increasing problem in Canterbury's
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...

groundwater.
Monorail
Monorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...

proposed to shorten tourist trip between Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....

and Milford Sound
Milford Sound
Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...

.
Pike River mine
Pike River mine
The Pike River Mine is a coal mine operated by Pike River Coal north-northeast of Greymouth in the West Coast Region of New Zealand's South Island....

given go-ahead despite protests by environmental groups.
Kaikoura
Kaikoura
Kaikoura is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1 180 km north of Christchurch.Kaikoura became the first local authority to reach the Green Globe tourism certification standard....

Green Globe
Green Globe
Green Globe is based on Agenda 21 principles for Sustainable Development endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the United Nations Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit . Green Globe Certification and Green Globe Asia Pacific deliver separate certification services and standards to the travel & tourism as well...

Conference declaration.
Rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...

s successfully eradicated from Raoul Island
Raoul Island
Anvil-shaped Raoul Island , the largest and northernmost of the main Kermadec Islands, , has been the source of vigorous volcanic activity during the past several thousand years that was dominated by dacitic explosive eruptions.The area of the island, including fringing islets and rocks...

.
20 January — Two Czech visitors fined for plant smuggling.
8 February - 13,000 litre diesel spill in Milford Sound
Milford Sound
Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...

.
12 March — Mount Burnett
Mount Burnett, New Zealand
Mount Burnett is a mountain in Kahurangi National Park, in Golden Bay, New Zealand.The mountain hosts an unusual geography, and a number of species of shrubs and sedge are endemic to this mountain, and it is host to a large population of the critically endangered Powelliphanta gilliesi gilliesi...

mining road application turned down.
25 March — Cypress mine
Cypress mine
The Cypress mine is a proposed extension to the open cast coal mine the Stockton Mine’s operational area, to the east into the Upper Waimangaroa Mining Permit area, on the West Coast of New Zealand....

, an open cast coal mine, is proposed for the West Coast
West Coast, New Zealand
The West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...

.
29 March — Meridian Energy
Meridian Energy
Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand state-owned electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 32 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and is the fourth-equal largest retailer, with...

proposed Project Aqua
Project Aqua
Project Aqua is an abandoned hydroelectric scheme once proposed for the lower Waitaki River in New Zealand. Although the scheme had considerable support from some locals, it met with considerable opposition from others, and Meridian Energy decided in March 2004 not to go ahead with the project.The...

is cancelled.
10 May — Kaikoura Island
Kaikoura Island
Kaikoura Island lies to the west of Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf in New Zealand. Kaikoura Island is the seventh largest island in the Hauraki Gulf, north east of Auckland...

protected. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.cfm?DocumentID=19627
17 May — Montréal Protocol
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion...

comes into force. http://www.mfat.govt.nz/support/legal/treaties/inttreaties3.html#Environment
18 October — More invasive plants discovered in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

http://arc.govt.nz/arc/index.cfm?ADC408DC-BCD4-1A24-9C1E-75698BA9D6B9
3 November — PCE
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment is an independent Officer of the New Zealand Parliament appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the House of Representatives for a five-year term under the Environment Act 1986...

releases report on the environmental effects of farming. http://pce.govt.nz/reports/allreports/1_877274_51_8.shtml
31 December — Moratorium on marine farms lifted after the passing of the Aquaculture Reform Bill. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.cfm?DocumentID=21842

2005

Non-toxic shot only is to be used for hunting from the 2005 season onwards.
14 March — Application lodged for mining black sands off the west coast of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...

.
1 April - The Income Tax Act 2004, which makes it easier to claim environmental expenditure, comes into force.
22 April — Landsborough Station purchased.
1 May — Pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...

s blamed for killing native frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...

s.
26 May — Environment Court rules in favour of Solid Energy for the Cypress mine
Cypress mine
The Cypress mine is a proposed extension to the open cast coal mine the Stockton Mine’s operational area, to the east into the Upper Waimangaroa Mining Permit area, on the West Coast of New Zealand....

.
1 July — Molesworth Station
Molesworth Station
Molesworth Station is New Zealand's largest farm, at over 1,800 km², and supports the country's biggest herd of cattle. It also hosts government science programs, such as research into bovine tuberculosis and related research into possums....

transferred from LINZ to DoC
New Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...

.
28 July — First criminal conviction for killing a fur seal
Fur seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds in the Otariidae family. One species, the northern fur seal inhabits the North Pacific, while seven species in the Arctocephalus genus are found primarily in the Southern hemisphere...

is handed down.
September - Rock snot
Didymosphenia geminata
Didymosphenia geminata, commonly known as didymo or rock snot, is a species of diatom that grows in warm and shallow water. If it overgrows, it can form large mats on the bottom of lakes, rivers and streams. It is not considered a significant human health risk, but it can affect stream habitats and...

found in the Buller River
Buller River
The Buller River is in the South Island of New Zealand. One of the country's longest rivers, it flows for 170 kilometres from Lake Rotoiti through the Buller Gorge and into the Tasman Sea near the town of Westport...

.
November - Last remaining use of reusable glass milk bottles will end.
18 November - Cavers protest about potential damage to Te Tahi Cave when used for adventure racing.
20 December - A tunnel is proposed to link Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....

and the Milford Sound
Milford Sound
Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...

road.

2006

26 January - New Zealand is rated top in the Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index.
February - The New Zealand fishing industry proposes limits on bottom trawling.
17 March - Proposal to build a gondola between Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....

and the Milford Sound
Milford Sound
Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...

road is postponed.
8 April - A pipe bomb is used to blow up a conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...

s letterbox.
9 April - 12 April - Gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....

s are stolen from a Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

zoo but later recovered.
12 May - An application for proposed aerial walkway in the Hokitika Scenic Reserve is rejected by Department of Conservation
New Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...

.
24 October - The WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...

Living Planet report ranks New Zealand with the ninth largest per capita ecological footprint
Ecological footprint
The ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It is a standardized measure of demand for natural capital that may be contrasted with the planet's ecological capacity to regenerate. It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area necessary to...

. http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/press_releases/index.cfm?uNewsID=83520 http://www.panda.org/news_facts/publications/living_planet_report/lp_2006/index.cfm
30 November - Great white shark
Great white shark
The great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...

s will be protected within New Zealand's EEZ
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...

from April 2007. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=27925

2007

January - DoC
New Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...

considers that almost half of the native plants and animals are threatened.
20 February - Wa$ted!, a programme investigating household sustainability, begins a two season run on New Zealand television.
23 March - Prime Minister Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...

puts forward aspirations for New Zealand to be the first sustainable country.
4 April - the OECD releases a report on the performance of the New Zealand Government.
4 April - Bottom trawling is prohibited in selected areas.
30 May - Government gives $9.88 million to clean up the Tui mine
Tui mine
The Tui mine is an abandoned mine on the western slopes of Mount Te Aroha in the Kaimai Range of New Zealand. It is considered to be the most contaminated site in the country, following the clean up of the former Fruitgrowers Chemical Company site at Mapua, Nelson.-History:In the 1960s, the Tui...

tailings site.
30 November - the orange roughy
Orange roughy
The orange roughy, red roughy, or deep sea perch, Hoplostethus atlanticus, is a relatively large deep-sea fish belonging to the slimehead family . The Marine Conservation Society has categorized orange roughy as vulnerable to exploitation...

fishery is closed to allow stocks of the fish to recover.
13 December - a proposed tunnel linking Queenstown and Milford Sound is blocked by the New Zealand Conservation Authority
New Zealand Conservation Authority
The New Zealand Conservation Authority is an advisory body to the New Zealand Department of Conservation and to the Minister of Conservation.Its stated mission is:-External links:* - New Zealand Conservation Authority information...

.

2008

31 January - Environment New Zealand 2007, a State of the Environment
State of the Environment
The term State of the Environment normally relates to an analysis of trends in the environment of a particular place. This analysis can encompass aspects such as water quality, air quality, land use, ecosystem health and function, along with social and cultural matters.- The Pressure-State-Response...

report, is released.
10 February - The Green Party
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party that has seats in the New Zealand parliament. It focuses firstly on environmentalism, arguing that all other aspects of humanity will cease to be of concern if there is no environment to sustain it...

leak Chapter 13 of Environment New Zealand 2007 State of the environment report, which slates the dairy industry and the high level of consumption in New Zealand.
20 February - A survey shows that 53% of New Zealanders' are deeply concerned that we are not doing enough to protect the environment.
4 March - The World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report
Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report
The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report was first published in 2007 by the World Economic Forum. The 2007 report covered 124 major and emerging economies. The 2008 report covered 130 countries,, the 2009 report expanded to 133 countries, and the 2011 report to 139 countries...

rates New Zealand at 24 out of 130 countries for environmental sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...

.
April - greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand are 26% higher than 1990 levels, the required level for the Kyoto Protocol.
10 September - the government passes the Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill

2009

Govt³
Govt3
Govt3 was a sustainability programme operated by the New Zealand government. It was managed by the Ministry for the Environment. "Govt" stands for government and "3" stands for the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic....

is discontinued.
3 February - the National-led Government announces reforms to the Resource Management Act

2010

2011

1 July - the Environmental Protection Authority
Environmental Protection Authority (New Zealand)
The Environmental Protection Authority is a government agency New Zealand. It takes over functions from various government departments from 1 July 2011....

begins operation.
5 October - the container ship Rena
MV Rena
MV Rena is a container ship owned by the Greek shipping company Costamare Inc. through one of its subsidiaries, Daina Shipping Co. The ship was built in 1990 as ZIM America for the Israeli shipping company Zim by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG in Kiel, Germany...

runs aground on Astrolabe Reef, 12 nautical miles off Tauranga, resulting in New Zealand's worst oil spill
Oil spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is mostly used to describe marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...

.