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On October 25, 2022, New Zealand’s Environment Committee conducted the third reading of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Hazardous Substances Assessment) Amendment Bill (hereinafter referred to as the Bill), which was introduced in July 2021 to streamline hazardous substances assessment and reassessment process. The Bill received the Royal Assent on October 31 and came into force from November 2022.
Main points of the Bill
For new substances
As per the Bill, new substances that are safer and more environmentally friendly can be introduced into New Zealand easier and quicker, while still being subject to comprehensive risk assessments. The EPA can approve them if the same use has been approved by a trusted international regulator, unless the assessed substances will have significant impact on the environment and human health.
For approved hazardous substances
The hazard classifications and controls of approved hazardous substances in New Zealand can be changed by the EPA via a simplified and modified reassessment process to align with a trusted international regulator. During the reassessments, the EPA can put in place additional rules for specific uses of an approved substance if there are significant concern about the impacts on the environment and human health. That is, specific uses of this substance will be temporarily restricted, for example restrict to professional use only, or decrease application rates.
Besides, the Bill also stipulates the criteria for selecting appropriate international regulators and prescribes that the EPA should develop a list of these regulators with comments from a public consultation process.
For more details, please click Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Hazardous Substances Assessment) Amendment Bill.
Background The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (hereinafter referred to as the HSNO Act) is the primary legislation designed to manage hazardous substances across their life cycle in New Zealand. Every hazardous substance imported into or manufactured in New Zealand needs to be granted with an approval under the HSNO Act. However, the assessment and reassessment of hazardous substances in New Zealand is very time consuming and resource intensive. Delayed reassessments may also mean that chemicals continue to be used when their safety and environmental controls may no longer be fit for purpose. Therefore, the Bill was introduced to the parliament in July 2021 with aims to:
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