This principle recognises that people need to use resources, but that resource use should not lessen the capacity of the environmnet to provide those resources. Sustainable management is a little like being able to live off the interest from that account - without having to dip into the capital. Several laws have been introduced in the past decade to underpin this approach. The most important is the Resource Management Act. Elsewhere, each major resource is normally legislated for separately.
Most countries have more central government control.
3 - The act is 'effects based', that is, it is the environmental effects of your proposed activity that decides whether or not a particular activity can go ahead. Overseas legislation often sets hard and fast rules what activities you can and can't do. More information can be viewed on-line at the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment. Simply close the page to return here.