Treaty of Waitangi and Sustainability

Article the second in the Treaty of Waitangi is the part that relates to the pollution and sustainability, it says “the Queen of England confirms and guarantees to the Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and to the respective families and individuals thereof the full exclusive and undisturbed possession of their Lands and Estates Forests Fisheries and other properties which they may collectively or individually possess so long as it is their wish and desire to retain the same in their possession; but the Chiefs of the United Tribes and the individual Chiefs yield to Her Majesty the exclusive right of Preemption over such lands as the proprietors thereof may be disposed to alienate at such prices as may be agreed upon between the respective Proprietors and persons appointed by Her Majesty to treat with them in that behalf.”

There are many ways that modern civilisation could pollute the land, the sea and the air. The most common are automotive and industrial emissions that cause air pollution, modern cleaning chemicals and soil contamination by excessive deforestation that cause land pollution; and wastewater from commercial and industrial waste as well as oil spill that cause pollution to the sea. The worst pollution will be nuclear waste from nuclear plants as it is highly toxic and can pollute the land, sea and air simultaneously if it wasn't shield properly.

In New Zealand, the Resource Management Act 1991 is the principal legislation for environmental management. Under section 15, it stated that no individual is allowed to discharge any contaminant into water, land or air regardless where they are unless such action is approved by a resource consent or being granted permission by authorised organisation or the regulations. Then in section 17, a law is enforced as a duty for everyone to prevent, correct and reduce if an act of a person is polluting or harming the environment.