Former Wellington mayor tapped to chair Environmental Protection Authority

Former Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast will chair the board of the new Environmental Protection Authority.

Environment Minister Nick Smith today announced the board members of the authority, which will comes into effect next month.

The authority will be responsible for national consents under the Resource Management Act, assessing environmental effects in Antarctica, and regulating hazardous substances, new organisms, ozone-depleting chemicals, and waste exports and imports.

From next year it will also manage the Emissions Trading Scheme and consents in the offshore exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Also on the board are former Fulton Hogan managing director David Faulkner, former Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu chief executive Anake Goodall, retiring Meridian Energy chief executive Tim Lusk, inaugural

Electricity Commission board member Graham Pinnell, Learning Media and Maori Broadcasting Agency board member Taria Tahana, Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma) chair Richard Woods, and Cawthron Institute chief executive Gillian Wratt.

Dr Smith said the board members will appoint a chief executive to enable a smooth transition to the new authority, which takes on some of Erma's roles.

"The new board has the right mix of skills to oversee the new authority with strong expertise in the environmental sciences, agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy, tikanga Maori, as well as governance and risk management," he said.

Greens sniff
The Green Party said the board was "light on environmental champions and heavy on development and infrastructure representatives".

Resource management spokesman David Clendon said none of its members represented the "hundreds of thousands" of New Zealanders who cared about the environment.

"They do represent business interests such as roading companies and phone companies," he said.

"Unfortunately, it all points to a very permissive Environmental Protection Authority rather than one that wants to establish strong environmental standards."