'Audit’ of effect on environment

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33290, 30 July 1973, Page 2

'Audit’ of effect on environment

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 29. Draft procedures under which major works will be examined for their effect on the environment have been published by the Minister for the Environment (Mr Walding).

. j The procedures say that t actions by non-Govemment organisations or individuals ' will require an impact report I where the action results from » the granting of a lease, per- » mit, licence, grant or subsidy, except where the relevant iconsiderations are so limited by law as to make consideration of the general environment inappropriate. At the most simple level, the reports need be “no more than a mental check of the likely environmental consequences of a particular decision — for example a decision to grant a permit to enter a State forest." < Decisions of greater complexity will justify a more rigorous examination, backed by documents. The procedures say that environmental assessment must begin at the inception of the proposal where there is a real choice between various courses of action. "It must be an integral part of the decision-making process proceeding through all the development stages of a proposal to actual implementation.” Responsibility for preparing a report will lie with the

“It is now Govern-i ment policy to provide a social and physical environment audit on all major projects before approval is granted,” he said. “The draft environmental impact assessment procedures, when they are finally approved, will give effect to this undertaking.” Government departments, boards, and commissions, would be required to study carefully the impact on the environment of their proposed activities before taking any decision, said Mr Walding. LOCAL BODIES “The proposed procedures will also affect local authorities and other public agencies, as well as industrial and commercial concerns, where the proposed action requires a Government decision and the action is likely to have a significant environmental impact.” Mr Walding emphasised that these procedures were draft proposals only, and that they had not yet been considered by the Government

; organisations responsible for . promoting and implementing > a proposal. If they are unable i to do so. Government ageni cies may provide the neces- ■ sary servicing. , Factors to be considered t include transformation of 1 physical areas, establishment - of new communities impact • on ecosystems and all forms of animal and plant life, the , effect on scenic and recrea2 tion areas, historical and 3 archaeological matters, pollu- • tion. and over-use of re- • sources. TIME FACTOR The report must be prepared in time for an! ‘ audit to be done by the j Commission for the Environment, which at a later stage t will advertise that copies of | the report are available for ‘ comments and submissions. „ Where a‘proposal is ap- _ proved without conditions, 1 ' the sponsoring organisation will be responsible for ensur--1 ing that the environmental I ’ provisions are adhered to. 1 Where conditions are im-‘ • posed, methods of observing! ■ them must be agreed with the Commission for the En-! - vironment before work beJ gins. Mr Walding said he had invited comments from interested organisations and indi-i viduals, and would consider! these before submitting the| proposals to the Cabinet for! > final approval.

Hospital fire.— Fire gutted the nurses’ home at Greytown Hospital in the Wairarapa on Saturday, but no-one was injured. The old wooden, brick-faced building was used as living quarters for half a dozen teachers working at Kuranui College adjacent to the hospital. It also contained the matron’s flat. The hospital has no nurses who live in.