News
Reform in Paradise: think tank on environment
Environment and resource management specialists will gather in Auckland next week to debate key issues facing New Zealand as it heads into an era of major reform.
Proposals to overhaul the Resource Management Act and new environmental management mechanisms will be particularly under scrutiny at the Environmental Defence Society conference, being held 8-9 June at the SKYCITY Convention Centre.
Organised in association with the Ecologic Foundation and the New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development, and with Bell Gully as a main sponsor, the conference draws together an impressive line-up of local and overseas speakers involved in environmental and resource management and its role in business and sustainable development.
The theme is "Reform in Paradise: Threat or opportunity?" and is focused on the government's proposal for the "biggest shake-up of environmental management in New Zealand since the late 1980s".
Hon Dr Nick Smith, Environment Minister and Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues, will outline the government's environmental reform agenda, which includes the establishment of a new Environmental Protection Authority. The authority will be the subject of several debates, with speakers from similar authorities in Australia and the US offering insights to those countries' experiences.
Bell Gully resource management specialist, partner Andrew Beatson, will contribute as part of a panel discussion addressing the impact of reform on infrastructure development. Andrew will focus in particular on how the reforms will work in practice when it comes to projects of national significance.
For further information about the Reform in Paradise conference visit www.edsconference.com
