This includes:

• a Royal Commission into Genetic Modification, which reported to Government in July 2001

• a voluntary moratorium on genetically modified organisms

• a biodiversity package to address biodiversity on private land

• a waste minimisation and management working party to advise on the development of a national strategy – due December 2001

• a waste and hazardous waste programme to close all sub-standard landfills and improve overall waste management

• completion of the hazardous substances regulations and development of an education programme for business and councils

• a group to advise on agri-chemical trespass

• completion of the national study on organochlorins, including signing the international agreement on persistent organic pollutants

• environmental legal assistance and resourcing for environment centres to remove barriers to public participation under the Resource Management Act (RMA)

• reducing compliance costs related to the RMA by working with local government to improve best practice

• progressing the Resource Management Act Amendment Bill through the select committee and convening a Ministerial group to coordinate a ‘whole of government’ approach

• implementing the environmental performance indicators programme to measure the success of environmental policies and report on the health of our environment.