National Environment Service staff including the Director Halatoa Fua have recently returned from the Northern Group holding consultations on the Environment Bill 2024 and National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan (NBSAP).

The National Environment Service (NES) is proposing a new Environment Bill to improve data reporting, strengthen its role as a permitting authority and update regulations for a changing environment.

Speaking to Cook Island News, Fua said they were conducting public consultations on the Environment Bill and National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan.

“These have been ongoing in Rarotonga and the Southern Group. We’ve also taken the opportunity to check in with the Island Government on environmental governance and other matters. We will provide a proper press release once the trip is completed.”

NES states that Northern Group Islands visit is the first in-person consultation for the bill, allowing local residents to express their unique perspectives, concerns, and hopes regarding the legislation where NES aims to build a legal framework that both protects the environment and respects the values and challenges of communities across the Cook Islands.

NES said this was an essential mission to the Northern Group Islands of Manihiki, Rakahanga, and Penrhyn to engage with the remote communities on critical environmental issues.
Fua has emphasised the importance of involving community voices in shaping the future of the Cook Islands' environmental policies.

Meanwhile, waste accumulation has also become a pressing concern in the Northern Group, and the NES team will conduct a comprehensive waste management assessment during this trip.

NES states that the team will gather photographic evidence and other metrics to better understand waste levels and composition on each island and the data will play a crucial role in guiding tailored waste management strategies for the Northern Group, addressing legacy waste accumulation, and finding solutions that meet the specific needs of these communities.
One of the provisions in the National Environment Service’s (NES) new Environment Bill is to ensure they are held accountable for the scientific data reporting they are required to produce.

It was earlier reported that the current Act, initiated in 2003 to protect, conserve and manage the environment, was due for an update. The team has been working extensively in recent years, conducting consultations through the National Environment Policy 2022-2032, which was endorsed by Cabinet in 2022 or 2023.

The Draft Environment Bill, initially released in May to government stakeholders for feedback, opened a period for public comments, which was extended to October 31.  LL/NES