Environmental Risk Management Authority

The Environmental Risk Management Authority or ERMA regulates new organisms and hazardous substances in New Zealand.

ERMA was disestablished in June 2011 and its functions were incorporated into the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). For more information about the EPA go to their website.
www.epa.govt.nz

ERMA consists of two parts: the authority, which makes decisions on applications, and the agency, which gathers and collates information on environmental issues from experts and the wider community.

In this video conference, secondary school students found out more about ERMA’s role in protecting the environment, from Dr Val Orchard and Dr Manuka Henare, who are both members of the Authority. Five secondary schools were involved including students from:

Forest View High School
Solway College
Tauhara College
Taratahi Agriculture Centre, Stratford High School
Te Aroha College
Turakina Māori Girls College.

Find out more about ERMA’s role in protecting the environment, regulating new and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and hazardous substances.

Video clips

What is ERMA? (V0345)

Val Orchard and Manuka Henare are both members of the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA). Here they explain what ERMA does and why it is an exciting organisation to be part of. (Note: ERMA was disestablished in June 2011 and its functions were incorporated into the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).)

Duration: 1:31
Why do we need ERMA? (V0346)

Manuka Henare and Val Orchard explain why it is so important that ERMA monitors and controls new organisms. (Note: ERMA was disestablished in June 2011 and its functions were incorporated into the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).)

Duration: 1:11
Risks and Benefits (V0347)

Val Orchard explains what considerations ERMA take into account when deciding upon applications to bring in new organisms to New Zealand. (Note: ERMA was disestablished in June 2011 and its functions were incorporated into the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).)

Duration: 1:17
New organisms (V0348)

Manuka Henare and Val Orchard explain what a new organism is and give examples of some of the organisms ERMA has permitted to come into New Zealand. (Note: ERMA was disestablished in June 2011 and its functions were incorporated into the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).)

Duration: 2:04
Genetically modified organisms (V0349)

Val Orchard and Manuka Henare give examples of genetically modified organisms and describe how ERMA closely regulates their presence in New Zealand. (Note: ERMA was disestablished in June 2011 and its functions were incorporated into the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).)

Duration: 3:10
Benefits of biocontrol (V0350)

Val Orchard from ERMA explains how new organisms are sometimes used in New Zealand to control the levels of other organisms. (Note: ERMA was disestablished in June 2011 and its functions were incorporated into the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).)

Duration: 0:58
Genetically modified food (V0351)

Manuka Henare and Val Orchard from ERMA discuss some of the different views of genetically modified (GM) food in New Zealand. (Note: ERMA was disestablished in June 2011 and its functions were incorporated into the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).)

Duration: 1:43
Genetically modified medicines (V0352)

Val Orchard and Manuka Henare from ERMA give examples of genetically modified medicines and describe how these medicines have changed some people’s views about genetic modification. (Note: ERMA was disestablished in June 2011 and its functions were incorporated into the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).)

Duration: 1:23