The Rarotonga Environment Act 1994/95 was repealed by the Environment Act 2003 formalising the establishment of the NES.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.
NES celebrates the academic achievements of Halatoa Fua, Benjamin Maxwell and Tekura Moeka’a, who have successfully completed the Master of Environmental Management and Sustainability at
The UNESCO MAB meetings in Hangzhou brought together global leaders to strengthen biodiversity and climate action.
The course was designed to elevate local expertise in operating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or drones.
NES Senior Environmental Compliance Officers Benjamin Maxwell and Matthew Rima recently attended the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) 2023 Annual Conference, “Leading
The 3-day training was a great refresher for NES staff Mura Herman and Benjamin Maxwell as 4 models of DJI drones were used to execute
The participation highlighted the Cook Islands’ commitment to sustainability and responsible resource management. Of particular interest were discussions on environmental management relating to sand mining,
As an independent decision-making authority, NES aims to provide the necessary administrative and secretarial support to the AEA to meet the objectives set out in
The program is part of the University of Newcastle’s distant education platform of which the NES staff conduct on a part time basis.
“The first step to implement the GBF in the Cook Islands is to review the Cook Islands National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2002, updating
