Govt to disband environment ministry as part of agency merger

2026-02-16 - 22:18

Environment Minister Penny Simmonds has introduced legislation to disestablish her own ministry as the Government moves ahead with plans to create a super-agency tasked with transport, planning, housing, urban development and local government policy. Last year, the Government announced it would merge the Ministry for the Environment, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the local government functions of the Department of Internal Affairs into a new agency, the Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT). “The Government has a clear agenda to drive growth and lift living standards for all New Zealanders. We do not believe the current structures of government can deliver effectively on this strong mandate and change is required. The system is too fragmented and too uncoordinated,” Chris Bishop, the Minister for Transport, Housing, Infrastructure and RMA Reform said in December. “The new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport will combine the key levers that shape growth and productivity, including planning, land use, housing, transport, water, and the interface with local government, so advice is integrated and accountability is clear.” While most of the departments can be disestablished and reconstituted through the authority of Cabinet, a law must be passed to alter the Ministry for the Environment, which was specifically created by the Environment Act 1986. Simmonds introduced the bill on Monday, ahead of Parliament sitting on Tuesday. Newsroom understands there are no plans currently for the bill to pass through Parliament under urgency or any accelerated timeline. Other aspects of the Environment Act, such as the creation of the independent Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, are unaffected by the legislation. The Environment Act, the Resource Management Act and some other laws confer specific duties and obligations on the Ministry for the Environment, as do some Treaty of Waitangi settlements. The bill would amend laws that reference the ministry by name to place the statutory obligations to the Secretary of the Environment (who will be the chief executive of MCERT) or to the new ministry. In a departmental disclosure statement, officials wrote, “We have assessed all references to the Secretary for the Environment and consider no changes are required to ensure the Secretary’s Treaty of Waitangi obligations will keep being met after the merger. We have also assessed all references to the Ministry for the Environment and consider that either the specific obligation has passed in time, has already been fulfilled, or the reference is dealt with by Schedule 9 of the Public Services Act (which would require the incorrect reference to be read as the new Ministry).” They also said letters would be sent to all affected parties explaining the changes and identifying a contact person in the new ministry. “This will help ensure that Treaty settlement commitments are transferred seamlessly from the Ministry for the Environment after the merger and are not overlooked by the new Ministry.”