This is a timeline of environmental history of New Zealand. It includes notable events affecting the

natural Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...

environment of New Zealand The environment of New Zealand is characterised by an endemic flora and fauna which has evolved in near isolation from the rest of the world. The main islands of New Zealand span two biomes, temperate and subtropical, complicated by large mount ...

as a result of

human activity Human behavior is the potential and expressed capacity ( mentally, physically, and socially) of human individuals or groups to respond to internal and external stimuli throughout their life. Kagan, Jerome, Marc H. Bornstein, and Richard M. ...

Pre 1700s

14th century- *Arrival of

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

who brought with them the

kiore The Polynesian rat, Pacific rat or little rat (''Rattus exulans''), 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 originated in Southeast Asia, a ...

rat. 16th century *Final extinction of all eleven species of

moa Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand. The term has also come to be used for chicken in many Polynesian cultures and is found in the names of many chicken recipes, such as Kale moa and Moa Samoa. Moa or MOA may also refe ...

. 1642 * Tasman is first European to reach New Zealand.

1760s

1769 * New Zealand mapped by James Cook, and the

Norway rat The brown rat (''Rattus norvegicus''), also known as the common rat, street rat, sewer rat, wharf rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Norwegian rat and Parisian rat, is a widespread species of common rat. One of the largest muroids, it is a brown o ...

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

Feral pig The feral pig is a domestic pig which has gone feral, meaning it lives in the wild. They are found mostly in the Americas and Australia. Razorback and wild hog are Americanisms applied to feral pigs or boar-pig hybrids. Definition A feral ...

s – called " Captain Cookers" in New Zealand – possibly arrived with Cook in the course of visits to New Zealand (1773-1774) during his second voyage (1772-1775).

1790s

*European sealers and

whaler A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales. Terminology The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Japa ...

s arrive.

1800s

Gorse ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are n ...

introduced as hedging plant. * Rabbits introduced *

Sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

and

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

introduced.

1830s

1837 * Australian brush-tailed possum introduced.

1840s

1840 *

Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the History of New Zealand, history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in ...

1860s

*Ship rat spreads throughout North Island. 1860 *

Australian magpie The Australian magpie (''Gymnorhina tibicen'') is a black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. Although once considered to be three separate species, it is now considered to be one, with nine recognised subs ...

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 The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

. *

Rook Rook (''Corvus frugilegus'') is a bird of the corvid family. Rook or rooks may also refer to: Games *Rook (chess), a piece in chess *Rook (card game), a trick-taking card game Military * Sukhoi Su-25 or Rook, a close air support aircraft * USS ...

introduced from

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

1870 *

Hedgehog A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introductio ...

s, which devour large quantities of

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...

s, are introduced. 1875 *Seal hunting restricted to a short annual season. 1876 *Rabbit Nuisance Act passed. 1879 * Ferrets introduced to control

rabbit Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit speci ...

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

1880s

1882 * Small Birds Nuisance Act passed. 1884 * One hundred

stoat The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine, Beringian ermine and ermine, is a mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern portions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Conc ...

and

weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bo ...

were caught in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

, England for shipment to New Zealand. The passage is expected to take 45 days and 1,500 live pigeons were also shipped for their consumption. 1885 *

Stoat The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine, Beringian ermine and ermine, is a mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern portions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Conc ...

s and

s are liberated as a misguided attempt to control rabbits. 1887 * 23 September — Te Heuheu Tūkino IV gifts Ruapehu,

Tongariro Mount Tongariro (; ) is a compound volcano in the Taupō Volcanic Zone of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the southwest of Lake Taupō, and is the northernmost of the three active volcanoes that dominate the landscape of th ...

and

Ngauruhoe Mount Ngāuruhoe (also spelled Ngauruhoe; Māori: ''Ngāuruhoe'') is a volcanic cone in New Zealand. It is the youngest vent in the Tongariro stratovolcano complex on the Central Plateau of the North Island and first erupted about 2,500 ...

to people of New Zealand.

1890s

1890 *An area of land, that will become the Trounson Kauri Park, is set aside by the Government

1893 *Rainbow trout successfully introduced by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. 1894 *Protection of

fur seal Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds belonging to the subfamily Arctocephalinae in the family '' Otariidae''. They are much more closely related to sea lions than true seals, and share with them external ears (pinnae), relatively l ...

population due to declining numbers. *

Lyall's wren Lyall's wren or the Stephens Island wren (''Traversia lyalli'') is a small, extinct, flightless passerine belonging to the family Acanthisittidae, the New Zealand wrens. It was once found throughout New Zealand, but when it came to the attention ...

becomes extinct, killed by cats. *

Tongariro National Park Tongariro National Park (; ) is the oldest national park in New Zealand,Department of Conservation"Tongariro National Park: Features", retrieved 21 April 2013 located in the central North Island. It has been acknowledged by UNESCO as a World H ...

Act passed. 1897 *

Kapiti Island Kapiti Island () is an island about off the west coast of the lower North Island of New Zealand. It is long, running southwest/northeast, and roughly wide, being more or less rectangular in shape, and has an area of . Its name has been used s ...

is designated as an island reserve.

1900s

1900 *

Egmont National Park Egmont National Park () is located south of New Plymouth, close to the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The park covers Mount Taranaki and its slopes. The park was first created in 1881 as a forest reserve and went on to become N ...

established 1901 *Noxious Weeds Act passed 1903 * Scenery Preservation Act passed. 1904 *Scenery Preservation Commission appointed. 1907 *

is formally gazetted. *Last known

huia The huia ( ; ; ''Heteralocha acutirostris'') is an extinct species of New Zealand wattlebird, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. The last confirmed sighting of a huia was in 1907, although there was a credible sighting in 1924. It ...

sighted and then shot. 1907 *Population reached one million.

1920s

1921 *

Herbert Guthrie-Smith William Herbert Guthrie-Smith FRSNZ (13 March 1862 – 4 July 1940) was a New Zealand farmer, author and conservationist. Life William Herbert Smith was born in Helensburgh, Scotland in 1862. His father was an insurance broker. In 1880 he emi ...

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 Forest & Bird ( mi, Te Reo o te Taiao), also known by its formal name as the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, is an environmental organisation specialising in the protection and conservation of New Zealand's indigenous f ...

is formed. 1929 *Attempt made to protect

bush Bush commonly refers to: * Shrub, a small or medium woody plant Bush, Bushes, or the bush may also refer to: People * Bush (surname), including any of several people with that name **Bush family, a prominent American family that includes: *** ...

in an area near what will be the Abel Tasman National Park.

1930s

1936 *Protection removed from

mustelid The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family ...

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 established. 1946 *

Possums Possum may refer to: Animals * Phalangeriformes, or possums, any of a number of arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi ** Common brushtail possum (''Trichosurus vulpecula''), a common possum in Australian urban a ...

no longer protected. 1948 * Takahe rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains in

Fiordland Fiordland is a geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the westernmost third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lake ...

. 1949 *

Forests Act 1949 The Forests Act was an Act of Parliament passed in New Zealand in 1949. The Act is administered in the Ministry for Primary Industries. See also *Forestry in New Zealand Forestry in New Zealand has a history starting with European settlement ...

is passed.

1950s

1952 *

Waipoua Forest Waipoua Forest is a forest, on the west coast of the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It preserves some of the best examples of kauri forest remaining in New Zealand. It is notable for having two of the largest living kauri t ...

Sanctuary formed. * Fiordland National Park established. *Population reaches two million. 1953 *

Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand. Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain, and the eponymous village lie within the park. The area was gazetted as a national park in October 1953 and consists ...

established. *The

Wildlife Act 1953 Wildlife Act 1953 is an Act of Parliament in New Zealand. Under the act, the majority of native New Zealand vertebrate species are protected by law, and may not be hunted, killed, eaten or possessed. Violations may be punished with fines of up to ...

is passed. 1954 *Trials on usage on 1080 in New Zealand begin. *28 July —

Te Urewera National Park Te Urewera National Park was a national park near the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, established as such in 1954 and disestablished in 2014, when it was replaced by a new legal entity and protected area named ''Te Urewera''. The p ...

gazetted. Additions made later.

1960s

1964 *

Mount Aspiring National Park Mount Aspiring National Park is in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, north of Fiordland National Park, situated in Otago and Westland regions. The park forms part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. Geography Estab ...

established. 1965 *Hydro dam proposed at

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. The Tuapeka's main claim to fame is as the centre of the Central Ot ...

mouth is opposed by local residents. 1967 *

Rudd ''Scardinius'' is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae commonly called rudds. Locally, the name "rudd" without any further qualifiers is also used for individual species, particularly the common rudd (''S. erythrophthalmus''). Th ...

is illegally introduced into New Zealand. 1967 * Water and Soil Conservation Act was enforced. *

Save Manapouri Campaign The Save Manapouri campaign was an environmental campaign waged between 1969 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. Origins The ...

gains nationwide headlines.

1970s

1970 *264,907 New Zealanders, almost 10 percent of the population, sign the Save Manapouri petition. * Environmental Defence Society is formed. 1971 * CoEnCo is formed.''About ECO''
ECO website. *The

Marine Reserves Act 1971 The Marine Reserves Act is an Act of Parliament in New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—a ...

is passed. 1972 *The

Values Party The Values Party was a New Zealand political party. It is considered the world's first national-level environmentalist party, pre-dating the use of "Green" as a political label. It was established in May 1972 at Victoria University of Wellingto ...

is formed at

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well kno ...

. *The

Clean Air Act 1972 The Clean Air Act was an Act of Parliament passed in New Zealand in 1972. It was repealed by the Resource Management Act 1991 The Resource Management Act (RMA) passed in 1991 in New Zealand is a significant, and at times, controversial Act ...

is passed. 1973 *Government decides to put

beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...

forests up for tender for chipping. *Population reaches three million. 1974 *

Greenpeace New Zealand Greenpeace Aotearoa (GPAo) is one of New Zealand's largest environmental organisations, and is a national office of the global environmental organisation Greenpeace. History Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand was founded in 1974, two years after ...

is formed. * The

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-Challen ...

is formed. * Project Jonah is established. 1975 *4 July — The

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 October 1971 the New Zealand Government proposed to harvest large areas of native South Island lowland beec ...

, calling for protection of native forests, is signed. It attracted 341,160 signatures by the time it was presented to Parliament in 1977. *An import ban on all whale products is announced by government. * Friends of the Earth New Zealand is formed. 1976 *CoEnCo renamed as ECO. *NZ rejoins the

International Whaling Commission The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is a specialised regional fishery management organisation, established under the terms of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) to "provide for the proper conservation ...

. 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

with a 341,159 signature petition is presented to Government. *23 December — The Reserves Act is passed (includes provision for Wilderness Areas). *23 December — The Wild Animal Control Act is passed. 1978 *Tree top protest in Pureora Forest to halt the logging of native forest. *1 April — The Reserves Act 1977 comes into force. 1979 *Five

black robin The black robin or Chatham Island robin ( Moriori: ''karure'', mi, kakaruia; ''Petroica traversi'') is an endangered bird from the Chatham Islands off the east coast of New Zealand. It is closely related to the South Island robin (''P. australi ...

s left but saved from extinction by

Don Merton Donald Vincent Merton (22 February 193910 April 2011) was a New Zealand conservationist best known for saving the black robin from extinction. He also discovered the lek breeding system of the kākāpō. When Merton began his work as a conser ...

and team. *The Litter Act 1979 is passed. *1 January — Marine Mammals Protection Act came into force.

1980s

1980 *Protests over a proposed aluminium smelter at

Aramoana Aramoana is a small coastal settlement north of Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand. The settlement's permanent population in the 2001 Census was 261. Supplementing this are seasonal visitors from the city who occupy cribs. The name '' ...

(See also:

Independent State of Aramoana 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-Challen ...

) * Clyde Dam protests. * Native Forest Restoration Trust established to purchase and protect native forests. * The National Parks Act 1980 was enforced. 1982 *The approval of the water rights necessary for the high Clyde Dam is overturned on appeal in ''Gilmore v. National Water and Soil Conservation Authority (1982)''Wheen, N. (2002) A history of New Zealand environmental law. pp 261-274, In ''Environmental histories of New Zealand'', edited by Pawson, E. and Brooking,T. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, page 268. * The National Government enacts the ''Clutha Development (Clyde Dam Empowering) Act 1982'' to overturn the High Court case refusing water rights. 1983 *Friends of the Earth NZ joins

Friends of the Earth International Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) is an international network of environmental organizations in 73 countries. The organization was founded in 1969 in San Francisco by David Brower, Donald Aitken and Gary Soucie after Brower's split wit ...

. *1 October —

Fisheries Act Fisheries Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used for legislation in multiple countries relating to fisheries. The Bill for an Act with this short title will have been known as a Fisheries Bill during its passage through Parliament. ...

comes into force (establishes a fishing quota system). 1984 *

New Zealand's nuclear-free zone In 1984, Prime Minister David Lange banned 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, la ...

declared by the Labour Government. 1985 *10 July — Bombing of ''Rainbow Warrior'' by French secret agents. 1986 *The Environment Act is passed, establishing the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE). *

Quota Management System The Quota Management System (QMS) is a type of individual fishing quota that is used in New Zealand to manage fish stocks. New Zealand fishing industry Seafood is one of New Zealand's largest export markets, with 85% of catches being exported. Over ...

(QMS) introduced to conserve fish stocks within the Exclusive Economic Zone. *

Kea The kea (; ; ''Nestor notabilis'') is a species of large parrot in the family Nestoridae found in the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wing ...

are given full protection. *

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

Accord signed for the protection of portions of native forest from logging. 1987 * Paparoa National Park established. *1 January — Environment Act comes into force *1 April —

Conservation Act 1987 The Conservation Act 1987 is New Zealand's principal act concerning the conservation of indigenous biodiversity. The Act established the Department of Conservation (who administer the Act) and Fish and Game, and complements the National Park ...

comes into force (establishes DoC, Fish and Game) 1989 *The

Tasman Accord The Tasman Accord was signed in 1989 by Tasman Forestry Ltd, environmental groups and the Government. The company agreed to end native forest clearance on its land, protect about 39,000 hectares, and assist with the recovery programme for kokako, ...

is signed between Tasman Forestry Ltd environmental groups and the Government. *1 June — Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989 comes into force (

CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

)

1990s

1990 *Banning of wood chip exports. *Creation of

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

site. *Creation of

Te Wahipounamu Te Wāhipounamu (Māori for "the place of greenstone") 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 , the site incorporates four national park ...

site. *

Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand ( mi, Rōpū Kākāriki o Aotearoa, Niu Tireni), commonly known as the Greens, is a green and left-wing political party in New Zealand. Like many green parties around the world, it has four organisational ...

is formed. *Establishment of the Forest Heritage Fund (later renamed "

Nature Heritage Fund The Nature Heritage Fund is a funding body of the New Zealand Government set up in 1990 for the purchase of land which has significant ecological or landscape value. It is administered by the Department of Conservation, but controlled by the Min ...

"). *Ministry for the Environment Green Ribbon Award established 1991 *Protests over the mining of

ilmenite Ilmenite is a titanium-iron oxide mineral with the idealized formula . It is a weakly magnetic black or steel-gray solid. Ilmenite is the most important ore of titanium and the main source of titanium dioxide, which is used in paints, printing ...

on the

. *

Resource Management Act 1991 The Resource Management Act (RMA) passed in 1991 in New Zealand is a significant, and at times, controversial Act of Parliament. The RMA promotes the sustainable management of natural and physical resources such as land, air and water. New Zeal ...

passed into law. *

Crown Minerals Act 1991 __NOTOC__ The Crown Minerals Act is an Act of Parliament passed in 1991 in New Zealand. It controls the management of Crown owned minerals. Potential changes to Schedule 4 of the Act created controversy and opposition in 2010. The definition of ...

is passed. 1993 *

Biosecurity Act 1993 Biosecurity Act 1993 is an Act of Parliament in New Zealand. The Act is a restatement and reform of the laws relating to pests and other unwanted organisms. It was a world first. In the Act an "unwanted organism" is defined to be one that "is ...

is passed. *Forests Act 1949 is amended. *

Forest and Bird Forest & Bird ( mi, Te Reo o te Taiao), also known by its formal name as the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, is an environmental organisation specialising in the protection and conservation of New Zealand's indigenous f ...

develop the Forest Friendly Awards to classify invasive garden plants. *The Government launches the Environment 2010 Strategy *9 June —

New Zealand Post NZ Post ( mi, Tukurau Aotearoa), shortened from New Zealand Post, is a state-owned enterprise responsible for providing postal service in New Zealand. The New Zealand Post Office, a government agency, provided postal, banking, and telecommuni ...

issues a set of stamps on

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...

. *1 July —

Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 (or the Māori Land Act 1993) is a statute of the Parliament of New Zealand to "reform the laws relating to Māori people, Māori land in accordance with the principles set out in the Preamble". These principles " ...

comes into effect. *15 November — A

environmentalist claims his house was the target of arson due to his anti-mining stance. 1994 *Rats eradicated from

. *Resource consent given to mine sand in

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. Kaiwaka is 13 km south west ...

Harbour. *

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

comes into force in New Zealand. 1996 *

Environment Court The Environment Court of New Zealand ( mi, Te Kōti Taiao o Aotearoa) is a specialist court for plans, resource consents and environmental issues. It mainly deals with issues arising under the Resource Management Act, meaning that it covers a ...

, formerly called the Planning Tribunal, is constituted by the Resource Management Amendment Act 1996 with upgraded powers *

Kahurangi National Park Kahurangi National Park in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand is the second largest of the thirteen national parks of New Zealand. It was gazetted in 1996 and covers , ranging to near Golden Bay in the north. Much of what was t ...

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 The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) is an Act of Parliament passed in New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North I ...

is passed. * Ozone Protection Layer Act 1996 is passed. 1997 *

Native Forest Action Native Forest Action (NFA) was set up protect the publicly owned native forests of the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand from logging. The West Coast has extensive stands of virgin native forests and numerous organisations had lobbi ...

commences lobbying to save

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 Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

Alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

coalition Government gains power paving the way for protection of

native forests. *

DoC DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: In film and television * ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series * ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom * "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode * ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...

publishes "Karst Management Guidelines" to assist with

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

and

karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

protection. *

Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Zealandia, formerly known as the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, is a protected natural area in Wellington, New Zealand, the first urban completely fenced ecosanctuary, where the biodiversity of 225 ha (just under a square mile) of forest is being r ...

construction completed, limited public access available. * Proposed West Coast

mine project is abandoned. (

The Press ''The Press'' is a daily newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand owned by media business Stuff Ltd. First published in 1861, the newspaper is the largest circulating daily in the South Island and publishes Monday to Saturday. One comm ...

— 6 February 1999)

2000s

2000 *The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2000 is passed, establishing the

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) is a New Zealand government/Crown agency responsible for promoting energy efficiency and conservation. The EECA was set up by the Fourth National Government of New Zealand in 1992 to encourage, ...

as a Crown agent. *A gondola is proposed from

Lake Wakatipu Lake Wakatipu ( mi, Whakatipu Waimāori) is an inland lake ( finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of the Otago region, near its boundary with Southland. ''Lake Wakatipu'' comes from the original Māori n ...

area to the

Milford Sound Milford Sound / Piopiotahi is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top t ...

road. *

Varroa ''Varroa'' is a genus of parasitic mesostigmatan mites associated with honey bees, placed in its own family, Varroidae. The genus was named for Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar and beekeeper. The condition of a honeybee colony being infe ...

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

*Forests (West Coast Accord) Act 2000 passed 2001 in the environment, 2001 *Moratorium on new

marine farming Mariculture or marine farming is a specialized branch of aquaculture (which includes freshwater aquaculture) involving the cultivation of marine organisms for food and other animal products, in enclosed sections of the open ocean ( offshore ma ...

applications, initially for two years. *Forest restoration on the

Kapiti Coast The Kapiti Coast District is a local government district of the Wellington Region in the lower North Island of New Zealand, 50 km north of Wellington City. The district is named after Kapiti Island, a prominent island offshore. The pop ...

. *

National Pest Plant Accord The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is a New Zealand agreement that identifies pest plants that are prohibited from sale and commercial propagation and distribution. The Accord initially came into effect on 1 October 2001 between regional coun ...

is developed to prevent the spread of invasive plants. * German tourist fined for smuggling a

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

. *30 May — Government announces transfer of all

Timberlands Timberlands West Coast Limited was 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 The New Zealand Forest Servi ...

managed forests to

. *18 August — Macraes mine extension turned down by

Sandra Lee-Vercoe Sandra Rose Te Hakamatua Lee-Vercoe (born 8 August 1952) is a former New Zealand politician and diplomat. She served as deputy leader (and briefly leader) of the Alliance party and was later High Commissioner to Niue. Early life Lee was bor ...

, the Minister of Conservation. *21 October — The Waigani Convention came into force. 2002 *

Rakiura National Park Rakiura National Park is a nature reserve park located on Stewart Island / Rakiura, New Zealand. It is the newest national park of New Zealand and opened in 2002. The protected area covers about 85% of the island. History Rakiura National Pa ...

established. *Labour led government abolishes logging of native trees on public land. *Waste Strategy released by the Ministry for the Environment. * Ferrets 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, a sustainability programme for government department, is established * YHA NZ started a ''Young Environmentalist'' programme. *The WWF ''Living Planet'' report ranks New Zealand fourteenth largest per capita ecological footprint. *24 April — New Zealand population is estimated to top 4,000,000. *26 May — Campbell Island declared rat free. *26 May — Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry for the Environment, and

Fonterra Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited is a New Zealand multinational publicly traded dairy co-operative owned by around 9,000 New Zealand farmers. The company is responsible for approximately 30% of the world's dairy exports and with revenue exce ...

sign the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord. *June — Consultation is sought on an 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 () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. The city lies on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authority encompass ...

lakes. *31 October — Businessman jailed for clearing native

(this has set a legal precedent) 2004 *''Rock snot'', (''

Didymosphenia geminata ''Didymosphenia geminata'', commonly known as didymo or rock snot, is a species of diatom that produces nuisance growths in freshwater rivers and streams with consistently cold water temperatures and low nutrient levels. It is native to the nor ...

''), an invasive freshwater weed is found in some New Zealand rivers. *Group to proceed with the Milford

Gondola The gondola (, ; vec, góndoła ) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull, ...

. * Nitrates an increasing problem in Canterbury's groundwater. *

Monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and "rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, ...

proposed to shorten tourist trip between Queenstown and

. *

Pike River mine The Pike River Mine is a coal mine formerly operated by Pike River Coal north-northeast of Greymouth in the West Coast Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is the site of the Pike River Mine disaster that occurred on 19 November 2010, lea ...

given go-ahead despite protests by environmental groups. * Kaikoura

Green Globe Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combin ...

Conference declaration. * Rats successfully eradicated from

Raoul Island Raoul Island (''Sunday Island'') is the largest and northernmost of the main Kermadec Islands, south south-west of 'Ata Island of Tonga and north north-east of New Zealand's North Island. It has been the source of vigorous volcanic activity ...

. *20 January — Two Czech visitors fined for plant smuggling. *8 February — 13,000-litre diesel spill in

. *12 March — Mount Burnett mining road application turned down. *25 March — Cypress mine, an open cast coal mine, is proposed for the

. *29 March —

Meridian Energy Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 35 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending December 2014, and is ...

proposed

Project Aqua Project Aqua was a hydroelectric scheme proposed for the lower Waitaki River in New Zealand. Although the scheme had considerable support from some locals, it met with opposition from many other groups, and Meridian Energy decided in March 2004 n ...

is cancelled. *10 May — Kaikoura Island protected

*17 May — Montréal Protocol comes into force

*18 October — More invasive plants discovered in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

br>
*3 November — Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, PCE releases report on the environmental effects of farming

*31 December — Moratorium on marine farms lifted after the passing of the Aquaculture Reform Bill

2005 in the environment, 2005 *Non-toxic shot only is to be used for waterfowl hunting from the 2005 season onwards. *14 March — Application lodged for mining black sands off the west coast of the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

. *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 Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampri ...

s blamed for killing native

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

s. *26 May — Environment Court rules in favour of Solid Energy for the Cypress mine. *1 July —

Molesworth Station Molesworth Station is a high country cattle station. It is located behind the Inland Kaikoura Mountain range in the South Island's Marlborough District. It is New Zealand's largest farm, at over and supports the country's biggest herd of ...

transferred from LINZ to

. *28 July — First criminal conviction for killing a

is handed down. *September — '' Rock snot'' found in the Buller River. *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 and the

road.

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

*26 January — New Zealand is rated top in the

Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

. *February — The fishing industry proposes limits on bottom trawling. *17 March — Proposal to build a gondola between Queenstown and the

road is postponed. *8 April — A pipe bomb is used to blow up a conservationists letterbox. *9 - 12 April —

Gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

s are stolen from a

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

zoo but later recovered. *12 May - An application for proposed aerial walkway in the

Hokitika Hokitika is a town in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island, south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River. It is the seat and largest town in the Westland District. The town's estimated population is as of ...

Scenic Reserve is rejected by

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

. *24 October — The WWF ''Living Planet'' report ranks New Zealand with the ninth largest per capita ecological footprint

*30 November —

Great white shark The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large Lamniformes, mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major ocean ...

s will be protected within New Zealand's EEZ from April 2007

2007 in the environment, 2007 *January —

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 Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...

puts forward aspirations for New Zealand to be the first sustainable country. *4 April — The

OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate e ...

releases a report on the performance of the New Zealand Government. *4 April —

Bottom trawling Bottom trawling is trawling (towing a trawl, which is a fishing net) along the seafloor. It is also referred to as "dragging". The scientific community divides bottom trawling into benthic trawling and demersal trawling. Benthic trawling is towing ...

is prohibited in selected areas. *30 May — Government gives $9.88 million to clean up the

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 was considered to be the most contaminated site in the country, following the cleanup of the former Fruitgrowers Chemical Company ...

tailings site. *30 November — The

orange roughy The orange roughy (''Hoplostethus atlanticus''), also known as the red roughy, slimehead and deep sea perch, is a relatively large deep-sea fish belonging to the slimehead family (Trachichthyidae). The UK Marine Conservation Society has categori ...

fishery is closed to allow stocks of the fish to recover. *13 December — The proposed tunnel linking Queenstown and Milford Sound is blocked by the

New Zealand Conservation Authority The New Zealand Conservation Authority / Te Pou Atawhai Taiao O Aotearoa is an independent statutory body that advises the Minister of Conservation and Director-General of Conservation on conservation issues of national importance. Role Its st ...

. 2008 *The

Waste Minimisation Act 2008 The Waste Minimisation Act is an Act of Parliament passed in New Zealand in 2008. It was a Private Members Bill introduced by Nándor Tánczos. The major provisions of the Act are: a levy on landfill waste, promoting product stewardship scheme ...

is passed. *31 January — ''Environment New Zealand 2007'', a

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 ...

report, is released. *10 February — The

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...

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 The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...

Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report The ''Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report'' was first published in 2007 by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The 2007 report covered 124 major and emerging economies. The 2008 report covered 130 countries, the 2009 report expanded to 133 count ...

'' rates New Zealand at 24 out of 130 countries for environmental

sustainability Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...

. *April — Greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand are 26% higher than 1990 levels, the required level for the Kyoto Protocol. *10 September — The

Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Act 2008 The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Act 2008 was a statute enacted in September 2008 by the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand that established the first version of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, a national a ...

is passed, establishing the

New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) is an all-gases partial-coverage uncapped domestic emissions trading scheme that features price floors, forestry offsetting, free allocation and auctioning of emissions units. The NZ ETS was fi ...

. ; 2009 * Govt³ is discontinued. *3 February — The National-led Government announces reforms to the

Resource Management Act The Resource Management Act (RMA) passed in 1991 in New Zealand is a significant, and at times, controversial Act of Parliament. The RMA promotes the sustainable management of natural and physical resources such as land, air and water. New Zea ...

2010s

; 2010 ;

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

* June — The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment recommends against a moratorium on 1080, citing the ensuing damage to native forests and animals if such a ban went ahead. * 1 July — the Environmental Protection Authority begins operation. * 5 October — the container ship ''Rena'' runs aground on Astrolabe Reef, 12 nautical miles off Tauranga, resulting in New Zealand's worst oil spill. ; 2012 *Concerns about

hydraulic fracturing in New Zealand Fracking has been carried out in New Zealand for over 27 years, mostly in Taranaki and also in coal seams in Waikato and Southland. Concerns have been raised about its negative effects and some local government jurisdictions have called for a mor ...

(fracking) are highlighted in the media. 2013 *Department of Conservation publishes findings raising concerns about the impact of introduced trout on native fish.http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/science-and-technical/sfc320entire.pdf 2014 *West Coast Wind-blown Timber (Conservation Lands) Act 2014 passed 2015