This Government bill amends the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 to streamline application processes, support risk-proportionate decision-making and public participation, and enhance compliance, monitoring, and enforcement. It is still before Parliament.
A Government bill amending the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996 — the law controlling approvals for things like agricultural chemicals, industrial substances and new organisms. It aims to speed up and simplify the approval process, including by letting New Zealand's Environmental Protection Authority rely more on assessments already done by trusted overseas regulators. It also sorts applications by their risk and strengthens compliance and enforcement, while keeping existing health and environmental protections.
Environment Minister Nicola Grigg introduced it, following a review that found the current approval pathway too slow and complex, especially for the primary sector. Supporters say it cuts red tape and gives farmers and growers faster access to modern products. Critics, including some scientists and environmental groups, worry that faster approvals and greater reliance on overseas assessments could weaken independent scrutiny of chemical safety.
See the Parliament.nz ↗ site for the full bill.