Timeline of the New Zealand environment facts for kids

This page shares a timeline of New Zealand's environmental history. It shows important events that have changed New Zealand's natural world because of human actions.

Early Changes: Before the 1700s

• Around the 14th century: Māori people arrived in New Zealand. They brought with them the kiore rat, also known as the Polynesian rat.
• By the 16th century: All eleven types of moa birds had become extinct.
• 1642: Abel Tasman was the first European explorer to reach New Zealand.

New Arrivals: The 1760s

• 1769: Captain James Cook mapped New Zealand. It's thought that Norway rats arrived on his ship, the Endeavour. Feral pigs, sometimes called "Captain Cookers," might also have arrived with Cook during his visits in the 1770s.

Early European Influence: The 1790s and 1800s

• 1790s: European sealers and whalers started arriving in New Zealand.
• 1800s:
  • Gorse, a thorny plant, was brought in for hedges.
  • Rabbits were introduced.
  • Sheep and cattle were also brought to New Zealand.

New Animals and Laws: The 1830s to 1870s

• 1837: The Australian brush-tailed possum was introduced.
• 1840: The Treaty of Waitangi was signed.
• 1860s: Ship rats began spreading across the North Island.
• 1860: The Australian magpie was introduced.
• 1861: The Protection of Certain Animals Act was passed. This law protected certain animals like deer, hares, swans, and some birds from being hunted for the rest of the decade.
• 1864: The Wild Birds Protection Act limited when wild ducks and pigeons could be hunted.
• 1867: The Trout and Salmon Protection Act aimed to protect and help salmon and trout grow in New Zealand.
• 1870s: Ship rats spread throughout the South Island. Rooks, a type of bird, were introduced from Europe.
• 1870: Hedgehogs, which eat many insects, were introduced.
• 1875: Seal hunting was limited to a short season each year.
• 1876: The Rabbit Nuisance Act was passed to deal with the growing rabbit problem.
• 1879: Ferrets were brought in to control rabbits, even though people warned they might harm bird life.

Protecting Land and Animals: The 1880s and 1890s

• 1882: The Small Birds Nuisance Act was passed.
• 1884-1885: Stoats and weasels were brought from England and released in a mistaken effort to control rabbits.
• 1887: On September 23, Te Heuheu Tūkino IV gifted Mount Ruapehu, Mount Tongariro, and Mount Ngauruhoe to the people of New Zealand. This land later became part of a national park.
• 1890: An area of land that would become Trounson Kauri Park was set aside by the government.
• 1893: Rainbow trout were successfully introduced by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society.
• 1894:
  • Fur seal populations were protected because their numbers were dropping.
  • Lyall's wren became extinct, likely due to cats.
  • The Tongariro National Park Act was passed, creating New Zealand's first national park.
• 1897: Kapiti Island was made an island reserve to protect its wildlife.

New Parks and Laws: The 1900s to 1940s

• 1900: Egmont National Park was established.
• 1901: The Noxious Weeds Act was passed to control harmful plants.
• 1903: The Scenery Preservation Act was passed to protect beautiful natural areas.
• 1904: A Scenery Preservation Commission was appointed.
• 1907:
  • Tongariro National Park was officially recognized.
  • The last known huia bird was sighted and then shot, leading to its extinction.
  • New Zealand's population reached one million people.
• 1921: Herbert Guthrie-Smith's book Tutira: The Story of a New Zealand Sheep Station was published. The Animals Protection and Game Act 1921-22 was passed.
• 1923: The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand was formed to protect forests and birds.
• 1929: An attempt was made to protect native bush in an area that would later become Abel Tasman National Park.
• 1936: Mustelids (like ferrets, stoats, and weasels) were no longer protected.
• 1941: The Soil and Rivers Control Act was put in place. This was the first major law to coordinate environmental protection in New Zealand.
• 1942: Abel Tasman National Park was established.
• 1946: Possums were no longer protected.
• 1948: Takahe birds, thought to be extinct, were rediscovered in Fiordland.
• 1949: The Forests Act 1949 was passed.

Growing Awareness: The 1950s to 1970s

• 1952:
  • Waipoua Forest Sanctuary was formed to protect kauri trees.
  • Fiordland National Park was established.
  • New Zealand's population reached two million.
• 1953:
  • Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park was established.
  • The Wildlife Act 1953 was passed.
• 1954:
  • Trials began for using 1080 poison in New Zealand to control pests.
  • Te Urewera National Park was officially recognized.
• 1964: Mount Aspiring National Park was established.
• 1965: Local residents opposed a proposed hydro dam at the Tuapeka River mouth.
• 1967:
  • Rudd, a type of fish, was illegally introduced into New Zealand.
  • The Water and Soil Conservation Act was put into action.
  • The Save Manapouri Campaign gained national attention, protesting a proposed lake level change for a power station.
• 1970:
  • Almost 10% of New Zealanders (264,907 people) signed the Save Manapouri petition.
  • The Environmental Defence Society was formed.
• 1971:
  • CoEnCo (Environment and Conservation Organisations of Aotearoa New Zealand) was formed.
  • The Marine Reserves Act 1971 was passed, allowing for protected areas in the sea.
• 1972:
  • The Values Party, an early environmental political party, was formed.
  • The Clean Air Act 1972 was passed.
• 1973: The government decided to offer South Island beech forests for wood chipping. New Zealand's population reached three million.
• 1974:
  • Greenpeace New Zealand was formed.
  • The Save Aramoana Campaign was formed to protect a harbor from a proposed smelter.
  • Project Jonah was established to protect whales.
• 1975:
  • On July 4, the Maruia Declaration was signed, calling for the protection of native forests. It gathered over 340,000 signatures.
  • The government announced a ban on importing all whale products.
  • Friends of the Earth New Zealand was formed.
• 1976: CoEnCo was renamed ECO. New Zealand rejoined the International Whaling Commission.
• 1977:
  • The "Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone Act" was passed.
  • The Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Act was set up to encourage protection of private land.
  • On July 20, the Maruia Declaration petition was presented to Parliament.
  • On December 23, the Reserves Act 1977 and the Wild Animal Control Act 1977 were passed.
• 1978: A tree-top protest in Pureora Forest aimed to stop native forest logging.
• 1979:
  • Only five black robins were left, but they were saved from extinction by Don Merton and his team.
  • The Litter Act 1979 was passed.
  • On January 1, the Marine Mammals Protection Act came into force.

Big Protests and New Agencies: The 1980s

• 1980:
  • Protests took place against a proposed aluminum smelter at Aramoana.
  • Protests also occurred over the Clyde Dam project.
  • The Native Forest Restoration Trust was established to buy and protect native forests.
  • The National Parks Act 1980 was put into effect.
• 1982: A court case overturned the approval for the Clyde Dam's water rights. However, the government then passed a special law to allow the dam to go ahead.
• 1983: On October 1, the Fisheries Act 1983 came into force, setting up a fishing quota system.
• 1984: The Labour Government declared New Zealand a nuclear-free zone.
• 1985: On July 10, the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior was bombed by French secret agents in Auckland.
• 1986:
  • The Environment Act 1986 was passed, creating the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE).
  • The Quota Management System (QMS) was introduced to help conserve fish stocks.
  • Kea birds were given full protection.
  • The West Coast Accord was signed to protect parts of native forest from logging.
• 1987:
  • Paparoa National Park was established.
  • On April 1, the Conservation Act 1987 came into force, establishing the Department of Conservation (DoC) and Fish and Game.
• 1989: On June 1, the Trade in Endangered Species Act 1989 came into force, following the CITES agreement.

World Heritage and New Laws: The 1990s

• 1990:
  • Wood chip exports were banned.
  • Tongariro National Park and Te Wahipounamu were recognized as World Heritage Sites.
  • The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand was formed.
  • The Forest Heritage Fund (later Nature Heritage Fund) was established.
  • The Ministry for the Environment Green Ribbon Award was created.
• 1991:
  • Protests occurred over proposed ilmenite mining on the West Coast.
  • The Resource Management Act 1991 was passed, changing how land and resources are managed.
  • The Crown Minerals Act 1991 was passed.
• 1993:
  • The Biosecurity Act 1993 was passed to prevent harmful organisms from entering New Zealand.
  • The Forests Act 1949 was updated.
  • Forest and Bird developed Forest Friendly Awards for garden plants.
  • The government launched the Environment 2010 Strategy.
  • On June 9, New Zealand Post issued stamps about conservation.
  • On November 15, a West Coast environmentalist claimed his house was targeted by arson due to his anti-mining views.
• 1994:
  • Rats were removed from Kapiti Island.
  • Permission was given to mine sand in Mangawhai Harbour.
  • The Basel Convention, controlling hazardous waste, came into force in New Zealand.
• 1996:
  • The Environment Court, previously the Planning Tribunal, gained stronger powers.
  • Kahurangi National Park was officially recognized.
  • The Fisheries Act 1996 was passed.
  • The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 was passed.
  • The Ozone Protection Layer Act 1996 was passed.
• 1997:
  • Native Forest Action began working to save West Coast forests.
  • The Wild Greens group was formed.
  • The Zerowaste Trust was established.
• 1998:
  • The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands became a World Heritage site.
  • On May 22, New Zealand signed the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases.
• 1999:
  • A new government came to power, leading to more protection for West Coast native forests.
  • The Department of Conservation (DoC) published guidelines for protecting caves and karst landscapes.
  • Construction of the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (Zealandia) was completed.
  • A proposed ilmenite mine project on the West Coast was abandoned.

Into the New Millennium: The 2000s

• 2000:
  • The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act 2000 was passed, creating the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.
  • A gondola was proposed from Lake Wakatipu to the Milford Sound road.
  • The Varroa bee mite was discovered in New Zealand.
  • A group of South Island mayors promoted a loop road through conservation land on the West Coast.
  • The Forests (West Coast Accord) Act 2000 was passed.
• 2001:
  • A temporary ban was placed on new marine farming applications.
  • Forest restoration began on the Kapiti Coast.
  • The National Pest Plant Accord was developed to stop the spread of invasive plants.
  • A German tourist was fined for smuggling a gecko.
  • On May 30, the government announced that all Timberlands managed forests would be transferred to DoC.
  • On August 18, a mine extension was turned down by the Minister of Conservation.
  • On October 21, the Waigani Convention, controlling hazardous waste in the Pacific, came into force.
• 2002:
  • Rakiura National Park was established.
  • The government banned logging of native trees on public land.
  • The Ministry for the Environment released a Waste Strategy.
  • Ferrets could no longer be legally bred, sold, or distributed.
  • On January 25, New Zealand Environment magazine was launched.
  • On December 22, New Zealand officially approved the Kyoto Protocol.
• 2003:
  • Govt3, a sustainability program for government departments, was established.
  • YHA NZ started a Young Environmentalist program.
  • The WWF Living Planet report ranked New Zealand's ecological footprint (how much nature we use) as the fourteenth largest per person.
  • On April 24, New Zealand's population reached an estimated 4,000,000.
  • On May 26, Campbell Island was declared rat-free.
  • On May 26, the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord was signed to improve water quality.
  • On September 5, New Zealand Environment magazine was stopped.
  • On September 11, the Environment Minister addressed pollution in the Rotorua lakes.
  • On October 31, a businessman was jailed for clearing native bush, setting a legal example.
• 2004:
  • Rock snot (Didymosphenia geminata), an invasive freshwater weed, was found in some New Zealand rivers.
  • A group decided to go ahead with the Milford Gondola.
  • Nitrates became a growing problem in Canterbury's groundwater.
  • A monorail was proposed to shorten the tourist trip between Queenstown and Milford Sound.
  • The Pike River mine was approved despite environmental protests.
  • The Kaikoura Green Globe Conference declaration was made.
  • Rats were successfully removed from Raoul Island.
  • On February 8, 13,000 liters of diesel spilled in Milford Sound.
  • On March 29, Meridian Energy's proposed Project Aqua was canceled.
  • On May 10, Kaikoura Island was protected.
  • On May 17, the Montréal Protocol, protecting the ozone layer, came into force.
  • On November 3, the PCE released a report on the environmental effects of farming.
  • On December 31, the ban on new marine farms was lifted after a new law was passed.
• 2005:
  • Only non-toxic shot could be used for waterfowl hunting from this season onwards.
  • On March 14, an application was made to mine black sands off the North Island's west coast.
  • On April 1, a new tax law made it easier to claim environmental expenses.
  • On April 22, Landsborough Station was purchased for conservation.
  • On May 1, pesticides were blamed for killing native frogs.
  • On May 26, the Environment Court ruled in favor of Solid Energy for the Cypress mine.
  • On July 1, Molesworth Station was transferred to DoC.
  • On July 28, the first criminal conviction for killing a fur seal was made.
  • In September, Rock snot was found in the Buller River.
  • In November, the last use of reusable glass milk bottles ended.
  • On December 20, a tunnel was proposed to link Queenstown and the Milford Sound road.
• 2006:
  • On January 26, New Zealand was rated top in the Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index.
  • In February, the fishing industry proposed limits on bottom trawling.
  • On March 17, the proposal for a gondola between Queenstown and the Milford Sound road was postponed.
  • On April 8, a pipe bomb was used to blow up a conservationist's letterbox.
  • From April 9-12, geckos were stolen from a Christchurch zoo but later recovered.
  • On May 12, an application for a proposed aerial walkway in the Hokitika Scenic Reserve was rejected by DoC.
  • On October 24, the WWF Living Planet report ranked New Zealand with the ninth largest ecological footprint per person.
  • On November 30, Great white sharks were protected within New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone from April 2007.
• 2007:
  • In January, DoC considered that almost half of New Zealand's native plants and animals were threatened.
  • On February 20, Wa$ted!, a TV program about household sustainability, began.
  • On March 23, Prime Minister Helen Clark spoke about New Zealand's goal to be the first sustainable country.
  • On April 4, the OECD released a report on the New Zealand Government's environmental performance.
  • On April 4, bottom trawling was banned in selected areas.
  • On May 30, the government gave $9.88 million to clean up the Tui mine tailings site.
  • On November 30, the orange roughy fishery was closed to allow fish stocks to recover.
  • On December 13, the proposed tunnel linking Queenstown and Milford Sound was blocked by the New Zealand Conservation Authority.
• 2008:
  • The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 was passed.
  • On January 31, Environment New Zealand 2007, a report on the state of the environment, was released.
  • On February 10, the Green Party leaked a chapter from the report that criticized the dairy industry and high consumption levels.
  • On February 20, a survey showed that 53% of New Zealanders were deeply concerned about environmental protection.
  • On March 4, the World Economic Forum rated New Zealand 24th out of 130 countries for environmental sustainability.
  • In April, greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand were 26% higher than 1990 levels, which was the target for the Kyoto Protocol.
  • On September 10, the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading) Amendment Act 2008 was passed, setting up New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme.
• 2009:
  • Govt3 was stopped.
  • On February 3, the government announced changes to the Resource Management Act 1991.

Recent Events: The 2010s

• 2010:
  • In June, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment advised against banning 1080 poison, saying it would harm native forests and animals.
  • On July 1, the Environmental Protection Authority began its work.
  • On October 5, the container ship Rena ran aground off Tauranga, causing New Zealand's worst oil spill.
• 2012: Concerns about hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in New Zealand were highlighted in the media.
• 2013: The Department of Conservation published findings about the negative impact of introduced trout on native fish.
• 2014: The West Coast Wind-blown Timber (Conservation Lands) Act 2014 was passed.

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