15 August 2025
OIAD-1693
John Luke
[FYI request #31728 email]
Tēnā koe John,
Thank you for your email of 23 July 2025 requesting the following under the Official Information
Act 1982 (the Act) of the Ministry for the Environment (the Ministry):
Dear Ministry for the Environment, I noted,
https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.women.govt.n
z%2Flibrary%2F2024-stocktake-gender-and-ethnic-diversity-public-sector-boards-and-
committees-
2025&data=05%7C02%7COIA%40mfe.govt.nz%7Ca70f178c13b5424fda5a08ddc9dbf153
%7C761dd003d4ff40498a728549b20fcbb1%7C0%7C0%7C638888668857438275%7CUn
known%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOi
JXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C40000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qWq1
i0m%2FlQKKjQ%2B8PVyw5swQxg1uqBy9sKH781lkU0w%3D&reserved=0
As per the stocktake, there are currently 8 boards with a total of 64 ministerial appointed
members. Could you please provide the following information:
The name of each board.
The terms of reference for each board.
Are there any boards where member terms have expired this year? If so, please provide
the name of the board(s) and the number of members whose terms have expired.
The eight boards administered by the Ministry for the Environment included in the Ministry for
Women 2024 Stocktake of Gender and Ethnic Diversity on Public Sector Boards and Committees
(2025) are:
• Climate Change Commission
• Environmental Protection Authority
• Fiordland Marine Guardians
• Freshwater Commissioners
• Nominating Committee for the Climate Change Commission
• Te Pou Tupua
• Waikato River Authority
• Waste Advisory Board.
I have identified eight documents in scope of your request, as listed in the document schedule
below.
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
1
I am releasing the terms of reference for the Nominating Committee for the Climate Change
Commission to you in full.
I am refusing the remaining seven documents in full under section 18(d) of the Act as the terms of
reference are already publicly available or outlined in legislation. Where the information is publicly
available, I have provided a link in the document schedule below.
I have interpreted your request for the number of board members whose terms have or wil expire
this year to be across the 2024/2025 period as listed in the Ministry for Women stocktake survey.
The terms of 15 board members have expired as outlined in the table below. Some board
members are on a roll-on provision which allows them to stay in office beyond expiry. More
information is available here:
www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2004/0115/
latest/DLM329959.html.
Board
Total term expires for the 2024/2025 period
Fiordland Marine Guardians
5
Nominating Committee for the Climate Change
Commission
1
Waikato River Authority
2
Waste Advisory Board
7
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Office of the Ombudsman of my
decisions relating to this request, in accordance with section 28(3) of the Act. The relevant details
can be found at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Please note that due to the public interest in our work, the Ministry publishes responses to requests
for official information shortly after the response has been sent on our website at:
https://environment.govt.nz/about-us/official-information-act-requests/. If you have any queries
about this, please feel free to contact our Ministerial Services team at:
[email address].
Nāku noa, nā,
Martin Workman
Chief of Staff | Rangatira Kaimahi
Ministry for the Environment | Manatū Mō Te Taiao
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
2
Document schedule
#
Date
Title
Decision
Grounds
Link/Notes
1
Terms of Reference for the Nominating Committee for the Climate Change
Released in full
N/A
Commission
2 23-12-2023 Fiordland Marine Guardians Terms of Reference
Refused in full
18(d)
The terms of reference for the Fiordland Marine Guardians are outlined in
legislation available here:
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2005/0036/latest/DLM341226.html.
3 16-05-2024 Terms of Reference for the Waste Advisory Board
Refused in full
18(d)
The term of reference for the Waste Advisory Board is available on the
Ministry for the Environment here:
https://environment.govt.nz/assets/what-
government-is-doing/waste/Terms-of-Reference-for-the-Waste-Advisory-
Board-16-May-2024.pdf.
4 24-12-2024 Environmental Protection Authority Terms of Reference
Refused in full
18(d)
The terms of reference for the Environmental Protection Authority are
outlined in legislation available here:
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2011/0014/latest/DLM3366813.html
.
5 24-12-2024 Te Pou Tupua Terms of Reference
Refused in full
18(d)
The terms of reference for Te Pou Tupua are outlined in legislations
available here:
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2017/0007/latest/whole.html.
6 24-12-2024 Waikato River Authority Terms of Reference
Refused in full
18(d)
The terms of reference for the Waikato River Authority are outlined in
legislation available here:
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2010/0024/latest/dlm1630002.html.
7 04-05-2025 Climate Change Commission Pou Herenga Terms of Reference
Refused in full
18(d)
The terms of reference for the Climate Change Commission are available
here:
https://www.climatecommission.govt.nz/assets/Pou-Herenga/PDF-Pou-
Herenga-Terms-of-Reference.pdf.
8
Chief Freshwater Commissioner and Freshwater Hearings Panels Practice and
Refused in full
18(d)
The terms of reference for the Freshwater Commissioners are available
Procedures Note 2020
here:
https://www.freshwaterplanning.govt.nz/assets/documents/chief-
freshwater-commissioner-freshwater-hearing-panels-procedures-2020.pdf.
PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143 | Freephone 0800 499 700 | environment.govt.nz
3
