Public participation and the EBR

Under the EBR,

• the public has the right to comment on proposals for environmentally significant Acts, regulations, policies, and instruments.

• The government " ...shall take every reasonable step to ensure that all comments relevant to the proposal ... are considered when decisions about the proposal are made in the ministry."

Public participation requires, and the EBR provides for,

• Appropriate public access to information held by public authorities;
• Opportunities for the public to participate in environmental decision-making processes; and
• Effective public access to judicial and administrative proceedings, including redress and remedy.