The Rarotonga Environment Act 1994/95 was repealed by the Environment Act 2003 formalising the establishment of the NES.
The role of the National Environment Services is based on 5 main areas and has four main departments.
There is a suite of policies, strategies and plans developed over the years to enable environmental protection, conservation and management.
Our cultural identify is deeply rooted in our environment and it is part of our heritage and legacy.
An Environment Consent is a permission granted to an applicant undertaking an activity that has some but not significant environment impact.
A permission required for the construction of a standard residential dwelling or non-construction purposes such as land clearance.
A management tool used to identify the environmental, social and economic impacts of a project prior to decision making.
Any person planning to take any wild animal or plant overseas must apply for a permit for trade movement of endangered species (CITES).
All importers of bulk HFC goods must register as an approved importer with NES.
Other permits issued by NES relates to the transboundary movement of waste, ozone depletion substances and wildlife.
Biodiversity plans are important documents to manage and determine the state of our natural environment.
Protecting species, habitats, ecosystem, and protecting biological diversity.
Activities to protect, maintain, or restore the quality of environmental media.
Historical milestone for conservation in the Cook Islands
The Environment Act 2003 is the primary legislation applied throughout the Cook Islands and the Outer Islands (Pa Enua) of Aitutaki, Atiu, Mauke and Mitiaro.
Several subsidiary legislations made under the Environment Act 2003 to apply provisions of the Act and to also include the Pa Enua.
Numerous national legislations interlinked with the environment but administered by other government entities.
Key lessons from the dialogue highlight the importance of improving coordination of existing funding, strengthening project readiness to attract investment, and exploring practical financial mechanisms
A key outcome of the workshop was the identification of major regional challenges, including gaps in data, limited technical capacity, effective management plans, and the
A key outcome was the capture of high-resolution imagery of African tulip tree sites, which will support future eradication efforts and strengthen ecosystem restoration across
The workshop reinforced the importance of healthy marine ecosystems as the foundation for tourism, biodiversity, food security, and climate resilience.
The Cook Islands participated in the international roundtable “Safeguarding an Effective Plastics Treaty” in Madrid, Spain, from 10–12 June 2026. Representing the Cook Islands, National
Elizabeth Munro and Tekura Moeka’a recently attended the Marine Spatial Planning Leadership for Change Programme in Brisbane, Australia, where participants explored leadership, adaptive thinking, and
The Quota and Licensing System was a key topic that was raised from the meeting. This focused on countries’ obligations to the Montreal Protocol and
During the Assembly, the Cook Islands delegation participated in Pacific Constituency meetings, GEF Council sessions, technical learning events, and high-level plenary discussions.
The specialised training focused on practical approaches to developing effective public policy proposals through a seven-step policy development framework.
