Legislation establishing the Environmental Protection Authority as a Crown entity has passed its final reading in Parliament.
The intention of the EPA is to centralise and streamline resource consent decisions that are nationally significant.
The bill included a Treaty of Waitangi provision after a deal was struck between the National Government and the Maori Party.
That deal meant that National's other support partner, the ACT Party, withdrew its support.
However, the bill still passed by 63 votes to 59, with National, the Maori Party and United Future voting in support.
