Greenpeace: New research finds dairy industry making Canterbury water “undrinkable”

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, May 30th, 2022 - 35 comments
Categories: disaster, farming, water - Tags: , , ,

Greenpeace NZ press release


29 May 2022

Newly published research has found that every litre of dairy milk produced in Canterbury requires up to 11,000 litres of water to dilute the pollution from its production.

The grey water footprint of milk due to nitrate leaching from dairy farms in Canterbury, New Zealand,” published in the Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, also finds that there are not sufficient volumes of rain and river water to dilute nitrate pollution in Canterbury to acceptable drinking standards. Therefore, Canterbury groundwater drinking supplies are on a trajectory to extreme levels of nitrate contamination of 21 mg/L – nearly double the allowable value for drinking water of 11.3mg/L – rendering much of it “undrinkable.”

The research states:

“Dairy farming will result in steady state nitrate concentrations on average of 21.3 mg/L (NO3-N) in groundwater originating from dairy farming areas in Canterbury, rendering much of it undrinkable. The groundwater drinking water supply of Christchurch, the second largest city in New Zealand, will also become significantly polluted with nitrate from dairy farming in the Waimakariri River catchment.” 

Already 8% of groundwater wells monitored by Environment Canterbury exceed the drinking water standard for nitrate, and 68% of wells have worsening contamination. Nitrate in drinking water is linked to Blue Baby Syndrome, preterm birth and colorectal cancer. Rural communities on household bore supplies are most at risk from nitrate in water.

Lead author, Dr Mike Joy, says “Growing use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and imported feed such as Palm Kernel Expeller has dramatically increased nitrate levels and the water pollution problems New Zealand faces.”

“There isn’t enough water falling from the sky or pouring down Canterbury’s rivers to actually dilute the nitrate contamination produced by thousands of tonnes of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and over a million dairy cows across the plains,” says Joy.

“The large footprint for milk in Canterbury indicates just how far the capacity of the environment has been overshot. To maintain that level of production and have healthy water would require either 12 times more rainfall in the region or a 12-fold reduction in cows.”

The research concludes that:

“Very large reductions of nutrient leaching of the order of 96 per cent are needed to reduce elevated groundwater nitrate concentrations…Unless this environmental degradation is reversed and current dairy farming significantly reduced and/or replaced by low-nitrate emission non-pasture grazed systems, dairy farming on the Canterbury Plains will remain unsustainable and seriously damaging to the local freshwater environment, including local drinking water sources. This degradation could continue to pose a significant human health risk and threat to our global market for dairy products.”

Greenpeace Senior Campaigner Steve Abel says, “This research starkly shows the need to phase out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and reduce stocking rates if we are to protect people’s drinking water.”

“The harm done by dairy production is far reaching. Not only is the industry our worst climate polluter and cause of river degradation, but it is rendering groundwater drinking supplies – which 40% of New Zealanders rely on – undrinkable.”

Greenpeace is calling on Associate Environment Minister Kiritapu Allan, responsible for proposed regulations to protect sources of drinking water, to stop nitrate contamination at source.

“Access to safe drinking water is a basic human right – yet for an increasing number of New Zealanders this right is being denied,” says Abel.

“In light of the overwhelming evidence that synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and too many cows are a critical risk to safe drinking water, Associate Minister Allan must put in place catchment-wide stocking limits and a sinking cap on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use to stem the tide of nitrate leached from fertiliser and cow urine from entering our drinking water.”


35 comments on “Greenpeace: New research finds dairy industry making Canterbury water “undrinkable” ”

  1. Mike the Lefty 1

    I draw a parallel situation with the residents of Bromley being plagued with air that is near unbreathable at times due to sewage contamination of the damaged waste water plant.

    The residents expect something to be done about it and (eventually) something starts to happen.

    If people in Canterbury started taking action about their drinking water being poisoned by nitrates I wonder what the response would be?

    More duck shovelling by councils and denials by farming interests, I would wager.

  2. Tiger Mountain 2

    Grow Hemp, Soy and Cannabis instead of continuing to torture and exploit sentient beings–cows–on an industrial basis perhaps…

  3. Gosman 3

    I suspect the research would apply to almost ALL Dairying activity in NZ. One of the authors was calling for a 12 fold reduction in Dairying to counter this so it would essentially decimate our Dairy industry.

    • DB Brown 3.1

      Each catchment would vary though I'd expect overall stocking rates to need to come down regardless. Canterbury isn't really suited to dairy.

      Decimate the industry, or down-size to realistic levels and introduce various new industries? We really could do other products. All manner of options, many more suitable to the environment.

      There's serious issues with being a one-trick pony in global markets. The dairy industry have dodged a few bullets already. Dare I say it, these farmers seem a bit 'cocky'.

      Diversity's not a bad thing. Investor types crow about it all the time. It's an insurance of sorts.

      • Belladonna 3.1.1

        I'm fully prepared for this analysis to have been overcome by changes in farm fertilizer practices – but this analysis of Pukekohe south of Auckland, shows that some vege farming is a much greater source of nitrate leaching, than dairy.

        https://www.grassland.org.nz/publications/nzgrassland_publication_533.pdf

        So, I suspect that conditions do vary.

        Having said that, the extensive use of synthetic nitrate fertilizers seems to be an extraordinary cost, well over and above the 'old fashioned' nitrogen fixing clover grasses. I'd love to hear some discussion from people who know about why this change has happened?

        • DB Brown 3.1.1.1

          Not the answer you require, that’d take some digging or an expert… but:

          In the corner for fertiliser we have: Overall Production.

          And in the sustainable corner we have: Lowered Costs.

          While synthetic fertilisers remain below a certain price, despite the cost, profits can be higher with synthetic fertilisers.

          As the market has been dictating the play for some time, and fertilisers were cheap, synthetic fertilisers rule(d).

          A savvy farmer might easily make the same income on the same land with a smaller herd and less external inputs (like synthetic nitrogen) – that's all good and well. So, why the resistance?

          The problem is (as I see it) all the ticket clippers downstream from farms want to keep production as high as possible as it directly affects 'their' share. That is the government, Fonterra, refining outfits, exporting outfits…

          The expectations of those earning money can be very shrill.

        • weka 3.1.1.2

          Having said that, the extensive use of synthetic nitrate fertilizers seems to be an extraordinary cost, well over and above the 'old fashioned' nitrogen fixing clover grasses. I'd love to hear some discussion from people who know about why this change has happened?

          My guess (rather than being in the know) is the desire to increase production, and the decrease in natural soil fertility from conventional farming practices.

          I'm fully prepared for this analysis to have been overcome by changes in farm fertilizer practices – but this analysis of Pukekohe south of Auckland, shows that some vege farming is a much greater source of nitrate leaching, than dairy.

          The solution isn't replace meat with plants. The solution is replace industrial ag with regenag.

          • Gosman 3.1.1.2.1

            Regenerative agriculture is less productive and therefore you have to accept lower living standards. If you can convince people to accept that then that is all good.

            • weka 3.1.1.2.1.1

              climate catastrophe ag is the least productive of all. I'll take a lower standard of living over watching people starve any day. The closer we get to the catastrophe affecting us directly rather than people far away, the more we will be motivated to change. Some of us are early adopters.

              The trick is to have alternatives that people will be ok with or find attractive. Regenag does this, as does Transition Towns, the Powerdown and so on. It's all there, we can be grateful for that.

            • Robert Guyton 3.1.1.2.1.2

              "Who has to "accept lower living standards"?

              Cockies? The general public?

              What might be lost?

              The batch at (insert name of gorgeous beach here)?

              The boat (insert macho name here ("Fish Slayer" etc.)

              Which " people" do "you" have to convince and who is "you"?

        • Poission 3.1.1.3

          Having said that, the extensive use of synthetic nitrate fertilizers seems to be an extraordinary cost, well over and above the 'old fashioned' nitrogen fixing clover grasses. I'd love to hear some discussion from people who know about why this change has happened?

          In a word bloat,It reduced the vet bills.

          • DB Brown 3.1.1.3.1

            Does synthetic nitrogen decrease bloat? I thought it was largely a genetic thing.

            Many regen ag folks claim decreased vets bills. There are various mechanisms that explain it. Competition and predation of problematic microbes with soil food web microbes helps considerably.

            e.g. trichoderma fungi eating pythium and phytophthora.

            Look at rye staggers. This increases with increased synthetic N, overstocking, and over-grazing. All practices of conventional ag. It decreases with diversity (in ruminant diet), and in particular including clover in the pasture, less synthetic N, and longer pasture turnover times – all practices in line with regen-ag.

            The endophytes causing livestock to get ill are trying to protect plants from perishing. When they're weakened by salts, overgrazing, and trampling – they make a lot of poison. When they're part of a healthy mixed sward they make amounts that are insignificant to production. Also, the lolitrem B toxin is mostly found in the basal portion of grass – hence overgrazing causing issues.

            Of course, as plants get more stressed e.g. as weather extremes increase, they'll (their microbial counterparts at least) make more toxins. Trees will help protect pastures and animals from weather related stress. Mixed pastures will dilute problematic compounds in mammals diets.

            The conventional farming mob (and their advisors, always) largely ignored common sense as all this emerged in the literature. They've been pushing for a GE ryegrass monoculture that doesn't have an endophyte.

            A return to more natural methods is not only ecologically sound, it's scientifically sound too. As for economics… when farmers finally have to pay for the indirect costs of their activities, regen ag will make conventional look like a daft idea.

            • Poission 3.1.1.3.1.1

              Clover increases bloat.(which can be managed ) Grasses and soils have co evolved with grazers (as have the microbial base)

          • Robert Guyton 3.1.1.3.2

            In the background, the regenerative community have developed plant-based solutions to the nitrogen requirements of livestock farming. The major players in keeping to synthetic nitrogenous fertiliser use are the Fert companies and the banks through their rural advisors.

  4. Kiwijoker 4

    It’s OK, we can always drink money.

  5. Janet 5

    We knew back in the 80s, and clamoured, when diary farmers were moving south and converting sheep farms to dairy farms that it was not the right way to use Canterbury,s porous soils… but what did the governments and regional councils of the day do to stop that ?????

    • satty 5.1

      I guess this article provides some answers:

      NZ Powerful Farmers

      Starting paragraphs:

      For decades, many of New Zealand’s most influential people didn’t hold seats in parliament. They didn’t pass legislation or regulations. They often didn’t even work in the capital, Wellington.

      Yet this group – the elected leaders of advocacy groups Federated Farmers, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb – exercised immense power over parliament.

      “It wasn’t that farmers affected the government. Farmers were the government,” says Dr Hugh Campbell, a professor of sociology at the University of Otago.

      Now that power – already weakened by shifts in farmers’ share of exports and changes to New Zealand’s electoral system – is critically threatened from within.

      This will take a while to get right.

    • Scud 5.2

      They sacked ECAN!

  6. Maurice 6

    Meanwhile we will all just keep living High off the Cow until some other mechanism for harvesting Overseas Funds appears ….. Or perhaps we will all turn 'Blue' holding our breath waiting?

  7. Ad 7

    So far it looks impossible for the left to ever get its head around farming as a business in New Zealand. At least Mike Joy was at pains not to slag off the farmers on RNZ this morning.

    This week New Zealand and the full agribusiness players will launch our world-first system to incorporate agriculture into the carbon management system. There's a good article about it in the NZHerald today.

    In 2020 Labour won all the South Island electoral vote, and the solid National seat of Rangitata.

    The political question is whether all this hard 5-year sheep-sorting of industry into a believable climate mitigation position will be recognised by media or by the left.

    • DB Brown 7.1

      Show me a believable clean model not a shiny Fonterra brochure. What they say vs what we find in our water…

      I've gone to bat for farming here. It's not that the left has no taste for it, it's the distasteful extractive stuff that's never going to wash. Heck I'm vegan now I still don't begrudge them farming.

      But the environmental and social costs of an industry must be shouldered by that industry. Smoke and mirrors accounting won't wash. Planting pines somewhere will not clean Canterbury's aquifers.

      Refusing to account for, or take responsibility for, indirect costs (e.g. to environment, diversity, air, water, earth, people, etc) – that is the problem, and many industries should be better held to account.

      • Ad 7.1.1

        There is no government come within a bull's roar of this one in regulating the real power of dairy, and that's in the 3 Waters reform.

        Within months there will be very, very little further use for regional councils at all.

        • DB Brown 7.1.1.1

          Interesting. I'd love to hear your take of that mechanism (regulating water to regulate dairy?) as it may play out. Is that what all the hullabaloo's about.

          Sometimes I need to just tune out. Have I been asleep at the wheel?

          I'd read some of the stuff here about 3 waters but not caught a whiff of that action.

        • pat 7.1.1.2

          3 waters dosnt address nitrates in private bores.

          "The three waters service delivery reform is proposing to reform council-owned drinking water, wastewater and stormwater supplies. It is not designed to reform privately owned supplies. It does not impact single household self suppliers."

          https://www.dia.govt.nz/three-waters-reform-programme-interaction-with-rural-water-schemes

          • theotherpat 7.1.1.2.1

            my own bore has gone from very drinkable to a level considered dangerous. thanks to the Greenpeace test your water efforts that helped a lot of us realise…..its a crying shame…..lots of us yelled real loud down here but no one listened.

            • pat 7.1.1.2.1.1

              If you read the 3 Waters literature you will note the lack of reference to nitrates throughout….the real question should be what will they do when a major metro water supply nitrates exceeds the current considered safe ppm….I suggest the response under 3 waters will be as equally can kicking as the current regime because the solutions are both physically and politically insoluble.

              And it is highly deceptive to continue to link 3 Waters with dairying when there is absolutely no intention for one to impact the other.

  8. Stuart Munro 8

    This has been coming for quite some time – certainly since the largely ineffectual freshwater legislation we saw from David Parker, allowing the Gnats to make some of that vanishingly rare thing for them, valid criticism. Shame they had to overegg it by blaming ideology – BAU is destined for a screeching halt, whether through serious regulation, or public action from the families of blue babies and bowel and gastric cancer sufferers.

    Living in NZ and watching government actions always leaves one with the impression we are sleepwalking off a cliff.

  9. "" Associate Minister Allan must put in place catchment-wide stocking limits and a sinking cap on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use to stem the tide of nitrate leached from fertiliser and cow urine from entering our drinking water.”"

    And if she doesn't will Greenpeace break the law again to make her?

    I'm sorry but their propensity for hijacking ships and climbing buildings to hang flags has destroyed all credibility that I might have had for me

    • Patricia Bremner 10.1

      Robert, are these the same voices who were against chlorine?

      • Robert Guyton 10.1.1

        I don't know. The subject wasn't mentioned. They were focussed on nitrates.

  10. Grumpy 11

    I think that blaming dairying for Canterbury’s high nitrate levels (in places) is deceptive. Obviously high synthetic nitrates will have an effect but high groundwater nitrate areas do not always correlate with high intensity dairy locations.

    The issue is more complex and likely to get worse. I suspect that the high levels we see currently are historic or natural.

    • Robert Guyton 11.1

      High synthetic nitrate use does correlate closely with dairying.

      Some dairy farms might be "fortunate" in having good flushing, but that doesn't change culpability.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T14:17:10+00:00