Week 3 - AEE

Work began on formally reviewing a number of environmental statutes in July 1988, after the Labour Government was re-elected to power. In December 1988, the government issued a proposal for a single integrated resource management statute that would replace the many existing statutory procedures.

After an extensive consultation process, the Resource Management Bill was introduced into Parliament in December 1989, but the Labour Government lost power in 1990 before it was passed into law.

The new National Government decided to continue with the Bill, but first gave it to a Review Group for further consideration. As a result of the review, the minerals section was dropped from the Bill (and enacted separately as the Crown Minerals Act 1991) and other changes made. A revised Act was passed by Parliament in August 1991. 

At the time of its creation, the AEE process was considered to be one of the leading pieces of environmental legislation in the World.  This is partly due to the effect-based approach of this legislation.  This approach allowed certain activities to continue but sort to separate incompatible activities, however for this to work effectively, understanding effects meant understanding the environment.