National is now barking at Tahrs

Written By: - Date published: 1:38 pm, September 26th, 2018 - 157 comments
Categories: Conservation, disaster, Environment, national, same old national, spin, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, twitter, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

Is this evidence that National has gone full wingnut conspiracy crazy? Or a cynical exercise in harvesting email addresses? Or both?

Whatever the reason National has started a petition against a DOC planned Tahr cull. Here is the tweet:

What was the dastardly Government planning?

From National’s website:

The Government must halt its cull of 17,500 Tahr, due to start this weekend.

The Government is pushing ahead with the cull before even consulting with recreational hunters and the hunting industry.

Not only that, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage has also instructed DOC to cull bull tahr against specific advice from hunting representatives and expert tourism operators.

But rather than an evil plan by this Government to take away the rights of ordinary kiwis to hunt Tahr what the Government is doing is sticking to a plan that was formulated in 1993. By National.

And DOC had a Tahr control for parts of the South Island that the last National Government signed off in 2015.

Eugenie Sage set out the reasons for the cull in this press release. From the release:

A cull of introduced Himalayan tahr browsing conservation land in Kā Tiritiri o Te Moana/ the Southern Alps is needed to protect special alpine plants and their habitats, Conservation Minister, Eugenie Sage said.

“I have asked the Department of Conservation (DOC) to step up efforts to control Himalayan tahr on public conservation land in the central Southern Alps.

“Tahr numbers have reached damaging levels with an estimated population of 35,000 animals on public conservation land. That is more than three times the number of animals permitted by the long established Himalayan Tahr Control Plan,” Eugenie Sage said.

“Heavy browsing and trampling by mobs of tahr damages, and can potentially wipe out the native plants they feed on, including tall tussocks and iconic species like the Aoraki/Mt Cook buttercup. On thin mountain soils it also increases soil erosion risks.

“New Zealand cannot afford to lose threatened native plants unique to our alpine areas. We need to work together to bring the population back down to a sustainable level.

“I am in discussion with some leaders of the hunting sector and will be re-engaging with them soon to discuss various concerns and gain a common understanding of the data. I also want to address some of the misinformation that’s been circulated. To be very clear there is no plan to eradicate tahr.

“DOC will aim to remove 10,000 tahr over the next eight months to help prevent the current population increasing further. I intend to discuss with the hunting, commercial wild animal recovery operators and other members of the Tahr Liaison Group what a suitable target would be for these groups.” Eugenie Sage said.

“Even after this control work is done, there will still be ample tahr to sustain guided tahr hunting and tourist ventures,” Eugenie Sage said.

“The control work needs to happen urgently. There’s a real risk the total population will explode further with another summer breeding season unless control work is done now.”

I enjoyed the Twitter responses:

This is Republican gun rights right wing crazy rhetoric from National’s social media team.  They should be ashamed.

157 comments on “National is now barking at Tahrs ”

  1. Muttonbird 1

    Further evidence that the National Party of New Zealand has absolutely zero idea about the New Zealand environment.

    They have allowed the pollution by dairy farmers of NZ waterways in the pursuit of profit. And they have allowed Kauri to perish by cutting research funding for its protection. My kids now cannot walk the tracks that my parents walked with me!

    Now they wish to turn NZ high country into a prolonged, barren, helicopter-hunting Schwarzenegger/Rambo paradise explicitly for the preserve of local and international gun-toting hunters.

    And this for the ‘preservation’ of a foreign species of goat.

    Green Party take note before jumping into bed with this Blue poison.

  2. chris73 2

    Need to be careful about this, theres a helluva lot of hunters out there that won’t be liking this.

    Not saying its wrong but, on this, Labour should tread carefully

    • Ad 2.1

      You really think Labour or the Greens will gain some of the hunter vote by stopping the cull?

      Checked the party vote breakdown in Fiordland/western southland, or Waitaki recently?

      • chris73 2.1.1

        Quite the opposite, I think this has the potential to bite Labour in the bum.

        • Ad 2.1.1.1

          So if the cull was stopped, what political advantage would there be to the government?

          • chris73 2.1.1.1.1

            Well as I replied to muttonbird below:

            ‘A 2017 report published by the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council shows that while most registered hunters in New Zealand are men (153,341), women now make up 8 per cent (13,334).”

            So a bit less than what NZFirst got and bit more than what the Greens got at the last election’

            Those numbers are approximately worth 6% of the vote, numbers worth thinking about I’d have thought

            • In Vino 2.1.1.1.1.1

              Oh, give it up, chris73. Hunters are usually dumb-arse twits who believe that a valid contest between man and Nature is them going out into the wild with a gun that they did not invent (some despicable brainy nerd did that) and cold-bloodedly murdering some dumb animal which does not have a gun to fight back with. They all have blue brains, and are going to vote National regardless of anything at all. Get real!

      • Gosman 2.1.2

        National is attacking NZ First not Labour and The Greens on this issue.

      • Shane 2.1.3

        No but they could sure lose a few.

    • Muttonbird 2.2

      How many hunters are there chris? That like to shoot animals from hired helicopters?

    • Kevin 2.3

      Well, they clearly haven’t been doing their fucking job, have they Chris?

      35,000 Animals when there should only be 10,000.

    • Gabby 2.4

      They can hunt possums chrissy.

    • Cinny 2.5

      Wonders where all those hunters have been while the introduced Tahr population has been bulging out of control? FFS.

      The fierce right wing exhusband had a grand ole time with the girls last weekend. Slagging off the government re the Tahr.

      He then went on to announce to his girls that he will be taking a chopper ride down south and a week off work to hunt them before they are all gone.

      After which he took them to the hunting store where he spent $1k on fancy new hunting gear for the trip.

      Did he buy them even an icecream over the weekend, nope…. told them he couldn’t afford it. He’s always put his own priorities first.

      Personally I’m mighty proud of how Eugenie Sage has been answering questions about this in Parliament over the last few days.

      Concerned hunters should watch question time then have a opinion, gather the real facts, rather than some nat propaganda to be used for nada but scoring political brownie points.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6XNVKcfnzY

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckFGS-WTW7U

  3. Ad 3

    If you want to get a taste of multi-gun-rack-pickuptruck-camouflaged-goodoleboy weirdness, visit Te Anau in season. There, instead of eradicating big deer, there’s a whole organisation dedicated to keeping their numbers permanent in the form of the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation.

    http://www.fwf.net.nz/management-rationale/

    Personally I would get them all eradicated.

    • Muttonbird 3.1

      Personally I would get them all eradicated.

      Hunters, you mean?

      Me too – starting with Cameron Slater.

    • Exkiwiforces 3.2

      I think you would find there is a bit of money (mainly overseas hunters) involved with the Wapit deer. It’s one area I would love to hunt in as it’s quite challenging area to hunt in terms of terrain and weather as you really need to know what you doing as it will bite you.

      • Rae 3.2.1

        Don’t think there are many full wapiti left, they have interbred with reds.

        • Exkiwiforces 3.2.1.1

          Doesn’t really surprise me IRT the Wapiti deer, as it was a concern that this could happen when I was a member of the NZDA in CHCH some 25- 30yrs ago when I was just starting out.

    • Rae 3.3

      While there actually is no place for tahr and chamois in the mountains as nothing had ever grazed there before them, there is an argument can be made for small populations of deer in the bush, as there were browsers there until all the moa were wiped out. I believe there is a place for limited number of deer.
      I would probably still want a small population of tahr, mainly because they are in danger of extinction where they come from. Perhaps we could be a bit of a bank for them. Hunters, though want them in much greater numbers than is truly sustainable.

      • Jeremy 3.3.1

        Tahr are in no danger of extinction. In fact, they are not even considered a threatened species.

        I suspect this is a calculated move by National to shore up voter support in Clutha/Southland.

        • Paul Campbell 3.3.1.1

          Aren’t they technically noxious animals, and if you have then on your land you are required to eradicate them?

          Maybe we should crowdfund a fund to help eradicate them in the National Parks too? $200 a tail anyone?

      • Cinny 3.3.2

        10k of Tahr is the recommended population, currently the population is over 30k in NZ. So there’s plenty of Tahr to go around even after the cull.

        The 10k limit law was made decades ago. When the nat’s were in government they sat on their hands for 2 years while doing a review into it and what happened after that? Sweet FA.

      • Tricledrown 3.3.3

        Takahe grazed Rae

        • Rae 3.3.3.1

          Takahe do not browse as high as moa did, in fact I doubt they browse at all, The loss of moa in the bush has left a niche, one that well controlled numbers of deer can fill. It is just a notion that not many have thought of, seeing as moa were gone before we got here, but when I heard it, I thought it made sense. Still do.

      • Molly 3.3.4

        ” as there were browsers there until all the moa were wiped out.”
        What browsing animals were there?

      • Stuart Munro 3.3.5

        The hunter’s role then would have to be less la Cavatina and more Haast eagle.

    • weston 3.4

      Well if you kill it you should eat it i reckon ad …….still wanna go ahead ?

      • gsays 3.4.1

        Do you know how they taste Weston?
        I am curious if the goat tag carries on through to their flavour.

        • weston 3.4.1.1

          who knows really gsays personally i dunno why ads worried about people who like wapiti quite a noble beast that tries to mind its own business waaaaay down in the wilderness of westland scarcely a bother except to busybodies .what you reckon ?

        • Kate 3.4.1.2

          Tahr tastes more like mutton than goat. I’m pretty sure they are classified as sheep.

        • Exkiwiforces 3.4.1.3

          Young Tahr are very good for eating, old bulls and nannies are like eating an old boot.

      • Rae 3.4.2

        I’ve eaten tahr and chamois (the chamois, a young one, was one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten, it was a roasted leg, the tahr, not so much, probably because it was a bull).
        I have lived in the sorts of areas where all the objection is coming from, seen and met some of the obese Americans being choppered in to shoot them (hunting is not a description I would use for it) so I know both sides of this story.
        Nothing ever grazed the mountain tops before chamois and more particularly, tahr were introduced, takahe as someone else posited, grazed tussock land, so while I do like the odd bite of wild game, I accept, fully, that tahr and chamois don’t really have a place here.
        Deer as I have said, fill the browser niche left by moa, but their numbers need to be kept small otherwise we end up again in the situation as it was, especially in South Westland in the 60s where the forest was being devastated by their numbers and they were becoming runty and sick from their being too many of them. When the ground cullers weren’t able to cope and Sir Tim Wallis came up with the notion of shooting them from choppers, their numbers got cut back severely and from there came the live recovery and the advent of deer farming here.
        There were still quite a few helicopter operations and meat works were taking wild shot deer for export to Germany until someone contaminated a carcass with 1080. That would have been around the turn of this century, can’t recall exactly when, but it’s generally acknowledged that it was someone employed in the deployment of 1080, doing a bit of hunting on the side, accidentally contaminated it.
        The main objection to 1080 comes from the hunting fraternity who do not wish to see numbers so far reduced that it becomes difficult to find them and from the horror of seeing deer that were in the throes of dying from having consumed it. As much as I admit that we don’t really have anything else to counter possums, stoats, rats etc other than 1080, it is truly, truly hideous seeing the agony an animal has to go through before dying of it.

  4. Gosman 4

    It is quite clear that National is using this as a wedge issue to drive between NZ First and one of their key support base in the outdoor hunters community. This is just smart politics.

    • Muttonbird 4.1

      Divisional politics?

      It just hasn’t worked for National, and the proof of that is them sitting on the opposition benches slowly fading away.

      • Gosman 4.1.1

        Ummm… they have only been in opposition for under a year. I don’t think you can claim it is or isn’t working yet. Labour spent a number of years initially trying to attack John Key’s credibility and that made no dent. That is the definition of wasted effort. If National doesn’t shrink NZ First support base as a result of these attacks THEN you can claim it is a failure.

        • Muttonbird 4.1.1.1

          I’m pretty sure alienating NZF is one of the major reasons for the Nats being in opposition right now. Can’t see why you’d double down on that unless you had idiots at the helm.

          • Gosman 4.1.1.1.1

            I’m not a member or a supporter of National. I don’t know why you think this is my approach.

          • chris73 4.1.1.1.2

            How many of NZFirsts voters thought that by voting for Winston he’d keep National honest

            Half? 40% 30% maybe, reinforce the notion that a vote for Winston is a vote for Labour and most of those voters will likely look elsewhere or abstain, either way it will make it harder for Winston to hit 5% which makes it more likely for National

            • Muttonbird 4.1.1.1.2.1

              NZF is centrist. The vote is split and they have already shed the cantankerous, RWNJ, old fuddy-duddy vote after GE2107.

              The very stupid Nats are not going to pick up any more disgruntled NZF voters by protecting a Himalayan goat.

              That is plainly stupid and even the extreme idiots at Kiwiblog get this.

              Not you though…

              • chris73

                The problem is neither us know who is right until the next election happens but its good to see you getting an education by spending more time at kiwiblog

                Its good to broaden ones horizons

                • Muttonbird

                  Reading Kiwiblob only diminishes one’s horizons. But I do it for the good of social consciousness in myself and other good people.

                  On the vote – it was pretty clear. The NZF vote was split and the right of that voter base went to National artificially boosting their numbers but that was massively outweighed by the female vote deserting National and going to Labour under Ardern.

                  Women can vote too now in case you hadn’t noticed 🙂

            • You_Fool 4.1.1.1.2.2

              I think most of NZF’s vote were by people who wanted Winston to keep either National or Labour honest. They are people who reject Nationals neo-lib big buisness must wring every last cent and fcuk anyone else idealology, but also fear the science and reasoned positions of the Greens, and to a lesser extent Labour.

              So this whole try and take votes of NZF by National will only really work if they can show they won’t be ultra-right wing and all tea-party ish

              I am not holding my breath

              • chris73

                John Keys government for center-right, the closet government we’ve hard to ultra-right was the Labour government under Lange

              • Gosman

                Like most political parties NZ First is a coalition of different interest groups, some of which will be at odds over key areas of policies. NZ First has carefully cultivated the outdoor recreation sector such as fishermen, hunters and the like. These people are far more likely to be right leaning on such things as individual liberty. They certainly don’t support more restrictions on their activities.

            • Gabby 4.1.1.1.2.3

              Not much hope of keeping the gnatz honest chrissy.

          • Chuck 4.1.1.1.3

            “I’m pretty sure alienating NZF is one of the major reasons for the Nats being in opposition right now.”

            Winston played Labour and National off against each other. Jacinda was prepared to give more than Bill, along with the acting PM role it was never in doubt.

            Although you are correct in saying “alienating NZF voters”…Winston has done that to at least a couple of % of his supporter base.

            “It just hasn’t worked for National, and the proof of that is them sitting on the opposition benches slowly fading away.”

            The last poll had National about or above the result they achieved on election night Muttonbird. Lets revised things in say 6 to 12 months time…if National slide down to the high 30’s than the mid 30’s than what you have said will be correct. At the moment you are blinded by your partisan support

            • Muttonbird 4.1.1.1.3.1

              That’s a very narrow set of outcomes you have proposed. If National can’t form a government on 47% then a drop to low 40s would be terminal never mind 30s.

              In short, they have burned all their friends and if current strategy is anything to go by they are doubling down on the attacks.

              No way NZF is ever going to go into government with National ever again. They killed the Maori Party and Seymour is toast in 2020.

              • Ngungukai

                I-Predict 2020 Election Labour 39%, NZF 12%, Greens 6%, National 37%, Others 6% IMHO.

              • Chuck

                None of us can foretell what will happen in 2020. Jacinda Ardern is THE current Government. She must retain that or otherwise, it will be a slaughter.

                NZF will do whatever is necessary to ensure it retains the luxury of Government. If that means supporting National, they will just be like old mates again.

        • Robert Guyton 4.1.1.2

          No dent??
          We got rid of him, didn’t we?
          Good job.

    • mickysavage 4.2

      Do you think they actually believe what they are saying? Or do you think they are not actually responsible for the policy which the cull is being conducted? If the answer to either is no then they are being hypocritical.

    • miravox 4.3

      I think you’re overthinking National’s tactics. It’s a straight out publicity stunt and they might just be relieved if it doesn’t get picked up by the media.

    • Graeme 4.4

      Na.

      soimun is being played like a piano by Collins and Slater and will do, or has to do, anything to avoid being criticised by either of them.

      The “wedge politics” is playing out entirely within the National Party as he tries to cling onto the leadership.

  5. Gosman 5

    I am amazed that for people supposedly interested in politics enough to comment frequently on this blog many people fail to identify the political purpose of a political party doing something.

    • arkie 5.1

      You egg. People are rejecting this politicking because it is hypocritical. You fail to understand that people disagree with NZ Politics being performed this way.

      • Gosman 5.1.1

        No, a bunch of left wing people who would never support National reject this political tactic. They aren’t trying to appeal to you.

        • Muttonbird 5.1.1.1

          Looks like identity politics from Bridges (I’m a hunter therefore I will not vote Labour). Something which RWNJs have railed against for some time…until it seems useful.

        • arkie 5.1.1.2

          Yes, the “bunch of left wing people who would never support National on this site reject this political tactic” and you were just amazed by our lack of support for National playing politics…

          What’s your point, egg? You think this is smart politics, but you don’t support National? Who do you support then? You spend enough time attempting to divert from and defend them.

          • In Vino 5.1.1.2.1

            arkie: good question. No response likely to my mind, because you are asking honesty from a sleazy, slippery, sly, pin-pricking, punctilious, pompous, devious, diverting, double-talking, meretricious troll.

    • Tricledrown 5.2

      Gossip boy, Yet you don’t vote for National but blindly defend them at every opportunity.

      • Gosman 5.2.1

        Nope. I have attacked National on numerous occasions. I recently called Simon Bridges a moron or words to that effect.

  6. McFlock 6

    A few things come to mind:

    1) if tahr numbers are 3.5 times the legislated level, where were the nats on this? Did the tahr suddenly boom in number overnight? Or did the nat minister of conservation simply ignore an inconvenient law, without even bothering to change it?

    2) a few years ago I’d thought that tahr were endangered in their native lands, but it turns out the himalayan tahr aren’t. But DoC do have a habit of wanting to eradicate unique breeds (thinking some pigs and horses) into extinction just because they might not “belong” here.

    3) if numbers are booming, why would hunters be pissed at a cull? Obviously there are far to many for recreational hunters to handle.

    4) on that note, I guess there are two types of hunter: the ones who like to track and search and “hunt”, and the others who just want to blaze away in an overpopulated or farmed area. Surely it’s no fun without a bit of a challenge…

    • You_Fool 6.1

      3) if numbers are booming, why would hunters be pissed at a cull? Obviously there are far to many for recreational hunters to handle.

      This is what i don’t understand either… who is meant to be upset that the numbers are being reduced by 10k from the already way over-populated 30k? Esp. when the cull is more to try and keep the numbers somewhat steady, as opposed to growing rapidly when the breeding season kicks into gear….

      To answer my question, I assume it is industrialised hunting tours who charge an arm and a leg to take people with more money than sense out for some

      BIG GAME HUNTING (TM) (c)

      and not the everyday go bush sort of hunter, even though National are trying to pretend it is this second sort that will get hurt by this….

      • McFlock 6.1.1

        Yeah – the sort who charges thousands to make sure their client bags something decent in a half-day outing with minimim discomfort and inconvenience.

        • You_Fool 6.1.1.1

          It reminds me of how the opposition by Farmers to environmental concerns is actually only a thing for big multi-national farms run by conglomerates and not actual farmers. Actual farmers, if they stopped listening to National’s spin, would realise that most, if not all, Green Party policy is not that bad for them, and actually stuff they are doing anyway. The big industry-like farms have issues with it because they can’t drain all the money out of the land in 5 years… Real farmers are there for a life-time, or more…

    • Ngungukai 6.2

      Many Tahr have come off the Pill in recent years hence we have had an explosion in Tahr numbers ?

    • JC 6.3

      …….”But DoC do have a habit of wanting to eradicate unique breeds (thinking some pigs and horses) into extinction just because they might not “belong” ….

      SOME Reading for you!

      “This management regime has become the generally accepted “status quo”. In 2004 a revised Kaimanawa Wild Horses Working Plan was prepared to reclarify the goals and objectives of this regime and guide its implementation until 2017.

      In 2010, the herd was reduced to 300 – the minimum number agreed in the plan. ”

      here.https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/animal-pests/kaimanawa-horses/

      As for the Pigs….

      https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southland/pigs-may-fly-mayor

      https://www.rarebreeds.co.nz/aucklandpigs.html

      https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/animal-pests/tahr/

      And Nat petition ….

      http://www.hawea-hunting.co.nz/tahr-hunting/

      http://www.hawea-hunting.co.nz/hunting-packages-and prices#Tahr%20Hunting%20Prices%20New%20Zealand

      • McFlock 6.3.1

        The mayor saved the pigs from DoC, no?

        As for the horses, in the 1990s they were reframed from “protected species” to “pest” in the 1990s. And reduced to the minimum allowable number (what other species does doc treat like that?). You reckon the horse population exists for any reason other than DoC aren’t allowed to kill them all?

    • Graeme 6.4

      One of the effects of the earlier culls, which were pretty brutal, I’ve seen lots of movie/video of tahr being machine-gunned from helicopters, was to dramatically improve the trophy quality. This led to the current trophy hunting industry.

      With the increase in numbers quality is going down and good heads are harder to find. Tahr are easier to find but there’s a lot of poor quality animals. They’ve also spread out and allowed more operators to enter the industry and created opportunities for less skilled hunters to get an animal.

      Another cull would probably help the trophy industry, but will make it harder for the weekenders. Hunting tahr is bloody hard, and skilled, work without a helicopter.

  7. Robert Guyton 7

    Eugenie Sage gave the Nat’s a real stropping in the House today – she’s feisty-as! National are over-egging this pud and their bullet-soaked rhetoric is going to hurt them, I reckon. In the House the Nat asking the questions/levelling the accusations claimed that the ammunition suppliers were denying DoC the bullets needed for the operation – that sounds…Good Ol’ Boyish to me. The funniest response from Eugenie involved her pointing out that the legislation around tahr control was a National Party one and they had failed to attend to their own requirements. Go, the feisty Greens!

  8. Brutus Iscariot 8

    Weird stuff from Soimun. No-one gives a farg, numbers of Tahr are out of control and even after this cull there will be plenty to go around for hunters.

    • weston 8.1

      Yeah but we are relying on doc for the numbers arent we Brutus ?I have heard that the deerstalkers assoc has admitted there are too many tahr but thats about all the sources thats filtered through to my neck of the woods .Would help if media interviewed a larger cross section of interested parties so that we could be better informed …but they dont !and our state broadcaster RNZ definitely doesnt

  9. Robert Guyton 9

    Mack Daddy’s comment was funny:
    “Devastated at losing their Roads of National Significance, National forlornly look to save any kind of tahr they can.”

  10. Robert Guyton 10

    And full credit to MICKYSAVAGE’s header:
    National is now barking at Tahrs

  11. AsleepWhileWalking 11

    HaTahrs back off!

  12. JessNZ 12

    I wish being wrong deterred National voters, but they don’t care about the facts, certainly when it’s National’s failure to adhere to their own conservation ruling. All they want is simpleminded ammunition to appear in the news!

    The petition has appeared on my FB feed with the description ‘Do they want to kill everything in this country.. cats.. tahr… there are only 35000 left and they want to kill around 25000 of them.’

    I find the issue of culling for conservation disturbing myself, but I can’t even…

  13. mac1 13

    Cue Simon Bridges for a photo op with a tahr.

    Camo gear, scoped rifle, dark glasses, boots.

    It’d make another great Caption contest.

    “Me Tahrzan. You game.”

  14. Macro 14

    How the F**K does this stupidity by National fit with Bill’s $70m policy announced just days before the last election to make NZ predator free by 2050?

  15. JustMe 15

    It’s truly amazing that all of a sudden, and now that they are so firmly in Opposition, that the NZ National Party MPs are so concerned about the Tahr cull.
    I am sure they most certainly lacked a voice of condemnation whenever there was a Kaimanawa horse cull especially when a cull of say the Kaimanawa horses or any other introduced animal was happening whilst there was a National government.
    It does appear National are very selective – oops I mean they suffer from selective amnesia when it suits them – as to their past antics when it came to the environment of New Zealand.
    National’s Simon Bridges almost relegated the Maui dolphins to extinction because all he could see was dollar signs for himself and National when it came to off-shore mining exploration.
    In 2014 this is what happened: A petition to “Sack Simon” climbed to more than 23,000 people following the revelation Mr Bridges offered the 3000km sq of the West Coast Marine Mammal Sanctuary for petroleum exploration. Mr Bridges told the Bay of Plenty Times the protest was unlikely to change anything.
    “There’s negligible risk to the Maui dolphin from petroleum activity and over 40 years of this on the west coast of the North Island or Taranaki there has not been a single reported incident where a Maui dolphin has been hurt by petroleum work.”
    The marine sanctuary is home to the critically endangered Maui’s dolphin, of which there are only 55 in the world.

    We all know National had a cavalier attitude when it came to the environment. They pursued money because it’s a God to them. They worship money more than they would ever care about what happens to the waterways of New Zealand.
    And so for National to ‘suddenly’ care about something shows a shallowness that is rampant through-out the whole National Party political system.
    I wouldn’t trust a National MP ever again. They are too selfish, self-centred, ego-ridden, greedy and a mess.

  16. Ngungukai 16

    WE just need National to go Anti-1080 and that will F&*k everyone up even Eugene Sage and the Greens ?

  17. Michael 17

    The Nats’ campaign seems to have worked: Sage has backed down. It seems like a replay of the campaign they waged to stop Megan Woods from putting an end to oil and gas exploration. Labour may be in government but it’s never in power.

  18. cleangreen 18

    National are hollow barking dogs.

    National = no substance.

  19. esoteric pineapples 19

    This is a good example of why hunting and trapping would never be able to replace 1080. If they can’t keep 35,000 tahr under control, how could they manage to eradicate all the possums, let alone the rats, mice, stoats etc

  20. solkta 20

    That’s tahrable.

  21. Doogs 21

    Check your dictionary people – the word is ‘thar’ which is a Nepali word for a variety of goat. Th other word ‘tahr’ is a political Greek/Turkish boundary line.

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  • 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
    17 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
    18 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
    19 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
    22 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
    22 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week ago

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