Timeline of the New Zealand environment

This is a timeline of environmental history of New Zealand. It includes notable events affecting the natural environment of New Zealand as a result of human activity.

Pre 1700s

14th century-

• Arrival of Māori who brought with them the kiore rat.

16th century

• Final extinction of all eleven species of moa.

1642

• Tasman is first European to reach New Zealand.

1760s

1769

• New Zealand mapped by James Cook, and the Norway rat believed to have arrived in New Zealand aboard his ship, the Endeavour.^[1] Wild boar are believed to have arrived with Cook, possibly on his second voyage for trade with the Māori — called 'Captain Cookers' in NZ

1790s

• European sealers and whalers arrive.

1800s

• Gorse introduced as hedging plant.
• Rabbits introduced^[2]
• Sheep and cattle introduced.

1830s

1837

• Australian brush-tailed possum introduced.

1840s

1840

• Treaty of Waitangi

1860s

• Ship rat spreads throughout North Island.

1860

• Australian magpie 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.^[3]

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".^[3]

1867

• Trout and Salmon Protection Act passed - made provision for "the preservation and propagation of Salmon and Trout in this Colony".^[3]

1870s

• Ship rat spreads throughout the South Island.
• Rook introduced from Europe

1870

• Hedgehogs, which devour large quantities of insects, are introduced.

1875

• Seal hunting restricted to a short annual season.^[3]

1876

• Rabbit Nuisance Act passed.^[3]

1879

• Ferrets introduced to control rabbits even after warnings were made of their effects on bird life.

1880s

1882

• Small Birds Nuisance Act passed.^[3]

1885

• Stoats and weasels are liberated as a misguided attempt to control rabbits.

1887

• 23 September — Te Heuheu Tūkino IV gifts Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe 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 population due to declining numbers.
• Lyall's wren becomes extinct, killed by cats.
• Tongariro National Park Act passed.

1897

• Kapiti Island is designated as an island reserve.

1900s

1900

• Egmont National Park established

1901

• Noxious Weeds Act passed

1903

• Scenery Preservation Act passed.

1904

• Scenery Preservation Commission appointed.

1907

• Tongariro National Park is formally gazetted.
• Last known huia sighted and then shot.

1907

• Population reached one million.^[4]

1920s

1921

• Herbert Guthrie-Smiths 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 is formed.

1929

• Attempt made to protect bush in an area near what will be the Abel Tasman National Park.

1930s

1936

• Protection removed from mustelids.

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 no longer protected.

1948

• Takahe rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains in Fiordland.

1949

• Forests Act 1949 is passed.

1950s

1952

• Waipoua Forest Sanctuary formed.
• Fiordland National Park established.
• Population reaches two million.^[4]

1953

• Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park established.
• The Wildlife Act 1953 is passed.

1954

• Trials on usage on 1080 in New Zealand begin.
• 28 July — Te Urewera National Park gazetted. Additions made later.^[5]

1960s

1964

• Mount Aspiring National Park established.

1965

• Hydro dam proposed at Tuapeka River mouth is opposed by local residents.

1967

• Rudd is illegally introduced into New Zealand.^[6]

1967

• Water and Soil Conservation Act was enforced.
• Save Manapouri Campaign 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.^[7]

1971

• CoEnCo is formed.^[8]
• The Marine Reserves Act 1971 is passed.

1972

• The Values Party is formed at Victoria University of Wellington.
• The Clean Air Act 1972 is passed.

1973

• Government decides to put South Island beech forests up for tender for chipping.
• Population reaches three million.^[4]

1974

• Greenpeace New Zealand is formed.^[9]
• The Save Aramoana Campaign is formed.
• Project Jonah is established.

1975

• 4 July — The Maruia Declaration, 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.^[8]
• NZ rejoins the International Whaling Commission.

1977

• The "Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone Act" is passed.^[10]
• Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Act set up to encourage the protection of private land from development.
• 20 July — The Maruia Declaration with a 341,159 signature petition is presented to Government.
• 23 December — The Reserves Act is passed (includes provision for Wilderness Areas).^[11]
• 23 December — The Wild Animal Control Act is passed.^[12]

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 robins left but saved from extinction by Don Merton 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. See also: Independent State of Aramoana.
• Clyde Dam protests.
• Native Forest Restoration Trust established to purchase and protect native forests.^[13]
• 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)^[14]
• The National Government enacts the Clutha Development (Clyde Dam Empowering) Act 1982 to overturn the High Court case refusing water rights.^[14]

1983

• Friends of the Earth NZ joins Friends of the Earth International.
• 1 October — Fisheries Act comes into force (establishes a fishing quota system).

1984

• New Zealand's nuclear-free zone 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).^[15]
• Quota Management System (QMS) introduced to conserve fish stocks within the Exclusive Economic Zone.
• Kea are given full protection.
• West Coast Accord signed for the protection of portions of native forest from logging.

1987

• Paparoa National Park established.
• 1 January — Environment Act comes into force^[11]
• 1 April — Conservation Act 1987 comes into force (establishes DoC, Fish and Game)

1989

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

1990s

1990

• Banning of wood chip exports.
• Creation of Tongariro National Park World Heritage site.^[16]
• Creation of Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site.^[16]
• Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is formed.^[17]
• Establishment of the Forest Heritage Fund (later renamed "Nature Heritage Fund").
• Ministry for the Environment Green Ribbon Award established^[18]

1991

• Protests over the mining of ilmenite on the West Coast.
• Resource Management Act 1991 passed into law.
• Crown Minerals Act 1991 is passed.

1993

• Biosecurity Act 1993 is passed.
• Forests Act 1949 is amended.
• Forest and Bird develop the Forest Friendly Awards to classify invasive garden plants.
• The Government launches the Environment 2010 Strategy
• 9 June — New Zealand Post issues a set of stamps on conservation.
• 1 July — Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 comes into effect.
• 15 November — A West Coast environmentalist claims his house was the target of arson due to his anti-mining stance.^[19]

1994

• Rats eradicated from Kapiti Island.
• Resource consent given to mine sand in Mangawhai Harbour.
• Basel Convention comes into force in New Zealand.

1996

• Environment Court, formerly called the Planning Tribunal, is constituted by the Resource Management Amendment Act 1996 with upgraded powers^[20]
• Kahurangi National Park 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 is passed.
• Ozone Protection Layer Act 1996 is passed.

1997

• Native Forest Action commences lobbying to save West Coast forests.^[21]
• Wild Greens group formed.^[22]
• Zerowaste Trust established.^[23]

1998

• Creation of New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands World Heritage site.^[16]
• 22 May — New Zealand signs the Kyoto Protocol.

1999

• Labour/Alliance coalition Government gains power paving the way for protection of West Coast native forests.
• DoC publishes "Karst Management Guidelines" to assist with cave and karst protection.^[24]
• Karori Wildlife Sanctuary construction completed, limited public access available.
• Proposed West Coast ilmenite mine project is abandoned. (The Press — 6 February 1999)

2000s

2000

• The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2000 is passed, establishing the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority as a Crown agent.
• A gondola is proposed from Lake Wakatipu area to the Milford Sound road.
• Varroa bee mite discovered in New Zealand.^[25]
• 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

• Moratorium on new marine farming applications, initially for two years.
• Forest restoration on the Kapiti Coast.^[26]
• National Pest Plant Accord is developed to prevent the spread of invasive plants.
• German tourist fined for smuggling a gecko.
• 30 May — Government announces transfer of all Timberlands managed forests to DoC.
• 18 August — Macraes mine extension turned down by Sandra Lee-Vercoe, the Minister of Conservation.
• 21 October — The Waigani Convention came into force.

2002

• Rakiura National Park established.
• Labour led government abolishes logging of native trees on public land.
• Waste Strategy released by the Ministry for the Environment.^[27]
• 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.^[28]
• 24 April — New Zealand population is estimated to top 4,000,000.^[4]
• 26 May — Campbell Island declared rat free.^[29]
• 26 May — Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry for the Environment, and Fonterra sign the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord.^[30]
• 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 lakes.^[31]
• 31 October — Businessman jailed for clearing native bush (this has set a legal precedent)^[32]

2004

• Rock snot, (Didymosphenia geminata), an invasive freshwater weed is found in some New Zealand rivers.^[33]
• Group to proceed with the Milford Gondola.
• Nitrates an increasing problem in Canterbury's groundwater.^[34][35][36]
• Monorail proposed to shorten tourist trip between Queenstown and Milford Sound.
• Pike River mine given go-ahead despite protests by environmental groups.
• Kaikoura Green Globe Conference declaration.
• Rats successfully eradicated from Raoul Island.^[37]
• 20 January — Two Czech visitors fined for plant smuggling.
• 8 February — 13,000 litre diesel spill in Milford Sound.
• 12 March — Mount Burnett mining road application turned down.^[38]
• 25 March — Cypress mine, an open cast coal mine, is proposed for the West Coast.
• 29 March — Meridian Energy proposed Project Aqua is cancelled.^[39]
• 10 May — Kaikoura Island protected.
• 17 May — Montréal Protocol comes into force.
• 18 October — More invasive plants discovered in Auckland
• 3 November — 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

• Non-toxic shot only is to be used for waterfowl hunting from the 2005 season onwards.^[40]
• 14 March — Application lodged for mining black sands off the west coast of the North Island.^[41][42][43]
• 1 April - The Income Tax Act 2004, which makes it easier to claim environmental expenditure, comes into force.^[44][45][46]
• 22 April — Landsborough Station purchased.^[47]
• 1 May — Pesticides blamed for killing native frogs.
• 26 May — Environment Court rules in favour of Solid Energy for the Cypress mine.^[48][49][50]
• 1 July — Molesworth Station transferred from LINZ to DoC.^[51]
• 28 July — First criminal conviction for killing a fur seal is handed down.
• September — Rock snot found in the Buller River.^[52]
• 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 Milford Sound road.^[53]

2006

• 26 January — New Zealand is rated top in the Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index.^[54]
• February — The fishing industry proposes limits on bottom trawling.
• 17 March — Proposal to build a gondola between Queenstown and the Milford Sound road is postponed.
• 8 April — A pipe bomb is used to blow up a conservationists letterbox.^[55]
• 9 April - 12 April — Geckos are stolen from a Christchurch zoo but later recovered.
• 12 May - An application for proposed aerial walkway in the Hokitika Scenic Reserve is rejected by Department of Conservation.
• 24 October — The WWF Living Planet report ranks New Zealand with the ninth largest per capita ecological footprint.
• 30 November — Great white sharks will be protected within New Zealand's EEZ from April 2007.

2007

• January — DoC considers that almost half of the native plants and animals are threatened.^[56]
• 20 February — Wa$ted!, a programme investigating household sustainability, begins a two-season run on New Zealand television.
• 23 March — Prime Minister Helen Clark puts forward aspirations for New Zealand to be the first sustainable country.^[57]
• 4 April — The OECD releases a report on the performance of the New Zealand Government.^[58]
• 4 April — Bottom trawling is prohibited in selected areas.^[59]
• 30 May — Government gives $9.88 million to clean up the Tui mine tailings site.^[60]
• 30 November — The orange roughy fishery is closed to allow stocks of the fish to recover.^[61]
• 13 December — The proposed tunnel linking Queenstown and Milford Sound is blocked by the New Zealand Conservation Authority.

2008

• The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 is passed.
• 31 January — Environment New Zealand 2007, a State of the Environment report, is released.
• 10 February — The Green Party 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.^[62]
• 4 March — The World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report rates New Zealand at 24 out of 130 countries for environmental sustainability.^[63]
• April — Greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand are 26% higher than 1990 levels, the required level for the Kyoto Protocol.^[64]
• 10 September — The Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Act 2008 is passed, establishing the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme.

2009

• Govt³ is discontinued.
• 3 February — The National-led Government announces reforms to the Resource Management Act

2010s

2010

2011

• 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.^[65]

2012

• Concerns about hydraulic fracturing in New Zealand (fracking) are highlighted in the media.

2013

• Department of Conservation publishes findings raising concerns about the impact of introduced trout on native fish.^[66]

2014

• West Coast Wind-blown Timber (Conservation Lands) Act 2014 passed

2015

See also

• Timeline of environmental events
• Timeline of New Zealand history

References

Further reading

• Bührs, T. and Bartlett, R.V.; (1993) Environmental policy in New Zealand: The politics of clean & green?. Auckland: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-558284-5
• Cant, Garth and Kirkpatrick, Russell (eds.); (2001) Rural Canterbury: Celebrating its History. Wellington: Daphne Brasell Associates Ltd. ISBN 0-909049-34-3
• King, Carolyn; (1984) Immigrant Killers. Auckland: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-558121-0
• Knight, Catherine (2014) Ravaged Beauty: An Environmental History of the Manawatu. Auckland: Dunmore Press. ISBN 978-1-927212-13-4
• Knight, Catherine (2016) New Zealand's Rivers: An Environmental History. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press. ISBN 978-1-927145-76-0
• Pawson, Eric and Booking, Tom (eds.); (2002) Environmental Histories of New Zealand. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-558421-X
• Young, David; (2004) Our Islands, Our Selves. Dunedin: University of Otago Press. ISBN 1-877276-94-4