The Green Party plans to protect marine mammals and ecosystems
Written By:
- Date published:
10:35 am, August 31st, 2017 - 25 comments
Categories: Conservation, election 2017, Environment, greens -
Tags: marine reserve, Taranaki, whaling
https://t.co/fREtXaFTX1 pic.twitter.com/kctlwieCRn
— James Shaw (@jamespeshaw) August 29, 2017
In Government the @NZGreens will create a blue whale sanctuary and a local ecotourism industry – to replace seabed mining and oil and gas. https://t.co/qFgs6CEq04
— James Shaw (@jamespeshaw) August 29, 2017
The sanctuary will protect critically endangered Blue whales and 37 other species of marine mammals.
Gareth Hughes explains what this is about:
Today the @NZGreens announced we'll create the country's biggest whale sanctuary (spoiler, its bigger than Wales) https://t.co/CeGwOs9oYa pic.twitter.com/Bdp7L5s84s
— Gareth Hughes (@GarethMP) August 29, 2017
Local support:
@jamespeshaw & I just launched the @NZGreens plan for a new whale sanctuary to stop seabed mining with Ngati Ruanui https://t.co/CeGwOs9oYa pic.twitter.com/6CVhonSEHJ
— Gareth Hughes (@GarethMP) August 29, 2017
Some of the media coverage:
I was in Whanganui last night – lots of anger about seabed mining and lots of support for a whale sanctuary. https://t.co/FPgYzvGpcF
— James Shaw (@jamespeshaw) August 29, 2017
Policy with porpoise https://t.co/gFBUHFnjMK
— Robin Campbell (@robellcampbin) August 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/wanganuishout/status/902609729351974912
Press release:
Green Party announces plan for largest-ever marine mammal sanctuary
James Shaw MP on Tuesday, August 29, 2017 – 11:06
The Green Party today announced that, in government, it will create New Zealand’s largest marine mammal sanctuary, to protect a blue whale feeding ground off the South Taranaki coast from destructive activities, including seabed iron sands mining.
Green Party leader James Shaw made the announcement together with Ngāti Ruanui on a beach near Patea, Taranaki, where people formed a human chain to show their opposition to a recently granted seabed mining permit off the coast.
“Critically endangered blue whales are the largest animals on the planet and in government the Greens will protect them, instead of allowing seabed mining and oil drilling near where they feed,” said Mr Shaw.
“Iron sand seabed mining vacuums up the seabed, filters out minerals, and then dumps the mud back into the ocean. For the whales, it’s like someone dumping the contents of a vacuum cleaner onto their dinner plates.
“Thousands of New Zealanders have spoken out against seabed mining and today we are standing with them to say that in government, the Greens will always protect our marine environment.
“We have been working with Ngāti Ruanui and other affected communities to develop a plan that will stop destructive seabed mining from putting blue whales at risk. In government we will continue to negotiate with all interested iwi and other groups to get this sanctuary in place.
“At around 30,000 square km, this will be New Zealand’s largest marine mammal sanctuary. We will finalise the boundaries working with iwi, communities, the Department of Conservation, and other experts.
“Blue whales and 37 other species of marine mammals live in this area, which National has been happy to sell off to the highest bidder to drill and mine.
“One hundred years ago, there were more than ten times the blue whales there than there are now. It’s time to stop taking them for granted.
“Preventing new mining and oil drilling will also reduce the risk of an oil spill on our beaches and coasts.
“The Green Party’s marine mammal sanctuary for blue whales provides a win-win opportunity: protect the environment and potentially create sustainable local jobs through new eco-tourism ventures, such as whale watching,” said Mr Shaw.
_______________________________________________________________________________
The Greens released a second policy on protecting whales:
Greens will send Navy vessels to protect whales
The Green Party in government will send a New Zealand Navy vessel to the Southern Ocean, to ensure Japan adheres to international law when it resumes whaling early next year.
______________________________________________________________________________
Green Party highlighted environmental policies
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77,000 fewer children living in low income households on the after-housing-costs primary measure since Labour took office Eight of the nine child poverty measures have seen a statistically significant reduction since 2018. All nine have reduced 28,700 fewer children experiencing material hardship since 2018 Measures taken by the Government during ...1 hour ago - Government investments boost and diversify local economies in lower South Island$2.9 million convertible loan for Scapegrace Distillery to meet growing national and international demand $4.5m underwrite to support Silverlight Studios’ project to establish a film studio in Wanaka Gore’s James Cumming Community Centre and Library to be official opened tomorrow with support of $3m from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery ...2 hours ago
- Government future-proofs EV chargingTransport Minister Michael Wood has today launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand. “Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, ...18 hours ago
- World-leading family harm prevention campaign supports young NZersAssociate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...21 hours ago
- First Chief Clinical Advisor welcomed into Coroners CourtHon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...21 hours ago
- Next steps for affected properties post Cyclone and floodsThe Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...22 hours ago
- New appointment to Māori Land Court benchE te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...1 day ago
- Government focus on jobs sees record number of New Zealanders move from Benefits into work113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...1 day ago
- Vertical farming partnership has upward momentumThe Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...2 days ago
- Conference of Pacific Education Ministers – Keynote AddressE nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...2 days ago
- New $13m renal unit supports Taranaki patientsThe new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...2 days ago
- Second Poseidon aircraft on home soilDefence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...2 days ago
- Further humanitarian aid for Türkiye and SyriaAotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...2 days ago
- Community voice to help shape immigration policyMigrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today. “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...2 days ago
- State Highway 3 project to deliver safer journeys, better travel connections for TaranakiConstruction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...2 days ago
- Ginny Andersen appointed as Minister of PolicePrime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...3 days ago
- Government confirms vital roading reconnectionsSix further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...3 days ago
- Foreign Minister Mahuta to meet with China’s new Foreign MinisterForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...3 days ago
- Education Ministers from across the Pacific gather in AotearoaEducation Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...3 days ago
- State Highway 5 reopens between Napier and Taupō following Cyclone GabrielleA vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...3 days ago
- Special Lotto draw raises $11.7 million for Cyclone Gabrielle recoveryInternal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...4 days ago
- Government delivers a $3 million funding boost for Building Financial Capability servicesThe Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...6 days ago
- Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao – new Chair and memberMinister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...6 days ago
- Scholarships honouring Ngarimu VC and the 28th (Māori) Battalion announcedFifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today. The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...6 days ago
- Appointment of Judge of the Court of Appeal and Judge of the High CourtHigh Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...6 days ago
- NZ still well placed to meet global challengesThe economy has continued to show its resilience despite today’s GDP figures showing a modest decline in the December quarter, leaving the Government well positioned to help New Zealanders face cost of living pressures in a challenging global environment. “The economy had grown strongly in the two quarters before this ...6 days ago
- Western Ring Route CompleteAucklanders now have more ways to get around as Transport Minister Michael Wood opened the direct State Highway 1 (SH1) to State Highway 18 (SH18) underpass today, marking the completion of the 48-kilometre Western Ring Route (WRR). “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, more ...6 days ago
- Briefings to Incoming MinistersThis section contains briefings received by incoming ministers following changes to Cabinet in January. Some information may have been withheld in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982. Where information has been withheld that is indicated within the document. ...6 days ago
- Teaming up for a stronger, more resilient FijiAotearoa New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta reaffirmed her commitment to working together with the new Government of Fiji on issues of shared importance, including on the prioritisation of climate change and sustainability, at a meeting today, in Nadi. Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand’s close relationship is underpinned by the Duavata ...7 days ago
- Investment in blue highway a lifeline for regional economies and cyclone recoveryThe Government is delivering a coastal shipping lifeline for businesses, residents and the primary sector in the cyclone-stricken regions of Hawkes Bay and Tairāwhiti, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan announced today. The Rangitata vessel has been chartered for an emergency coastal shipping route between Gisborne and Napier, with potential for ...1 week ago
- Next steps developing clean energy for NZThe Government will progress to the next stage of the NZ Battery Project, looking at the viability of pumped hydro as well as an alternative, multi-technology approach as part of the Government’s long term-plan to build a resilient, affordable, secure and decarbonised energy system in New Zealand, Energy and Resources ...1 week ago
- Statement from the Prime Minister on Stuart NashThis morning I was made aware of a media interview in which Minister Stuart Nash criticised a decision of the Court and said he had contacted the Police Commissioner to suggest the Police appeal the decision. The phone call took place in 2021 when he was not the Police Minister. ...1 week ago
- CPTPP Trade Ministers coming to AucklandThe Government’s sharp focus on trade continues with Aotearoa New Zealand set to host Trade Ministers and delegations from 10 Asia Pacific economies at a meeting of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Commission members in July, Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor announced today. “New Zealand ...1 week ago
- Govt approves $25 million extension for cyclone-affected businesses$25 million boost to support more businesses with clean-up in cyclone affected regions, taking total business support to more than $50 million Demand for grants has been strong, with estimates showing applications will exceed the initial $25 million business support package Grants of up to a maximum of $40,000 per ...1 week ago
- More than 160,000 new Kiwis to call NZ home80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visas applications have been processed – three months ahead of schedule Residence granted to 160,000 people 84,000 of 85,000 applications have been approved Over 160,000 people have become New Zealand residents now that 80 per cent of 2021 Resident Visa (2021RV) applications have been ...1 week ago
- Scholarships propel Kiwi students to NASAThe Government continues to invest in New Zealand’s burgeoning space industry, today announcing five scholarships for Kiwi Students to undertake internships at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash congratulated Michaela Dobson (University of Auckland), Leah Albrow (University of Canterbury) and Jack Naish, Celine Jane ...1 week ago
- New Zealand to attend regional security meeting in AustraliaThe Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission’s Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques travels to Melbourne, Australia today to represent New Zealand at the fourth Sub-Regional Meeting on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Security. “The Government is committed to reducing the threat of terrorism ...1 week ago
- Health and safety action plan for portsThe health and safety practices at our nation’s ports will be improved as part of a new industry-wide action plan, Workplace Relations and Safety, and Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced. “Following the tragic death of two port workers in Auckland and Lyttelton last year, I asked the Port Health ...1 week ago
- Bikes and scooters to be exempt from FBTBikes, electric bikes and scooters will be added to the types of transport exempted from fringe benefit tax under changes proposed today. Revenue Minister David Parker said the change would allow bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters, electric scooters, and micro-mobility share services to be exempt from fringe benefit tax where they ...1 week ago
- Foreign Affairs Minister to reaffirm our close relationship with FijiForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will hold bilateral meetings with Fiji this week. The visit will be her first to the country since the election of the new coalition Government led by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka. The visit will be an opportunity to meet kanohi ki ...1 week ago
- Child Poverty Data Shows The Continuing Need For Investment In Our Most Vulnerable Families
Child poverty numbers produced by Statistics New Zealand today showed the continuing need for investment in our most vulnerable families, said CTU Economist Craig Renney. Renney said “the number of children living in poverty has not moved significantly ...13 mins ago - National Party leader Christopher Luxon announces education policy
National leader Christopher Luxon is giving details on planned changes within the education system, if his party wins the general election. ...23 mins ago - Save The Children: Continued Government Investment Vital To Lift More Children And Families Out Of P...Save the Children is calling on the Government to "keep children in its sights" and continue investing in policies to lift more children and whānau out of poverty following the release of today’s latest child poverty statistics showed no real ...53 mins ago
- Scams Run High During Tax Time: Cyber Security Expert Warns New Zealanders Of Common Fraudster Tacti...Ahead of tax season, Avast , a leading digital security and privacy brand of Gen ™ (NASDAQ: GEN), is warning New Zealanders of increased scam activity as cybercriminals prey on taxpayers' vulnerability during a time when they are expecting their tax ...1 hour ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Beehive’s revolving door and corporate mateship
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: The Beehive’s revolving door and corporate mateship New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a ...1 hour ago - Housing Affordability More Challenging For Renters Than HomeownersIn the year ended June 2022, 1 in 4 households that were renting were spending more than 40 percent of their disposable income on housing costs, compared with 1 in 5 households that were paying a mortgage, according to figures released by Stats NZ ...1 hour ago
- Child Poverty Statistics Show No Annual Change In The Year Ended June 2022Child poverty rates for the year ended June 2022 were unchanged compared with the previous year, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. “Child poverty statistics have not changed compared with last year,” general manager social and ...2 hours ago
- Broadcaster turned conspiracy theorist Liz Gunn appears in court
The former broadcaster Liz Gunn, who has become a vocal figure within the anti-vaccination movement in New Zealand, has appeared in court today after an alleged airport altercation earlier this year. Gunn pleaded not guilty to charges of assault, trespass and resisting arrest over the incident at Auckland International Airport. ...2 hours ago - How to boost your backyard biodiversityYou don’t need to go to wildlife sanctuaries to see native birds, bugs and reptiles. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof brought to you by Electric Kiwi – sign up here. Recently I wrote a feature for New Zealand Geographic on weeds – it turns out, a ...2 hours ago
- ‘Tough news for tenants’: Rent prices soar to new record highRental costs have hit a record high, according to new statistics released this morning. Trade Me has reported that the national median rent was up to $600 in February – a jump of 4%, or $25, when compared with the same month in 2022. It’s not unusual to see rent ...3 hours ago
- Sense Prevails As Immigration NZ Chooses To Allow Free Speech Of British SpeakerThe Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by Immigration New Zealand to not suspend Kellie-Kay Keen-Minshull's NZeTA and to allow her entry into the country, says Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union. “The Free Speech Union envisions ...3 hours ago
- Finally A Political Party For The Farmers – HeartLandNZHeartLandNZ represents provincial New Zealand, the heart of the nation, the men and women, workers, contractors, businesses and farmers in the successful primary production sector. For over 30 years these voters have been economically ...3 hours ago
- Help Me Hera: How do you know when it’s time to quit?This week, Hera Lindsay Bird ponders whether it’s better to leave a party too early or too late. Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to [email protected] Dear Hera, How can you tell when something is over? A recurring theme through my life is sticking around way past the due date. There have been ...3 hours ago
- National’s education ‘rewrite’ to target years one to eightNational’s new education policy will focus on the first eight years of education – primary and intermediate – in an effort to prepare students for high school. The opposition will formally unveil their policy later today – coincidentally (or likely not) in the prime minister’s electorate of Upper Hutt. Erica ...3 hours ago
- Why is my loved one with dementia sometimes ‘there’ and sometimes not?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yen Ying Lim, Associate Professor, Monash University Shutterstock Dementia is an umbrella term to describe a progressive neurological condition that affects people’s cognitive abilities, such as memory, language and reasoning. Alzheimer’s is the most common form, but other common ...4 hours ago
- Fear and Wonder podcast: how scientists know the climate is changingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Green, Host + Producer, The Conversation A comparison between two views of the same coral reef on Kiritimati, taken by University of Victoria scientists. Danielle Claar, Kristina Tietjen/University of Victoria Earlier this week, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ...4 hours ago
- The Great Southern Reef is in more trouble than the Great Barrier ReefSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Graham Edgar, Senior Marine Ecologist, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania Graham Edgar/Reef Life Survey, Author provided Marine heatwaves are damaging reef ecosystems around Australia, but while the tropical north has received the lion’s share of the ...4 hours ago
- ‘Some of them do treat you like an idiot’: what it’s like to be a casual academicSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Burch, Lecturer in Accounting, University of Tasmania Shutterstock One of the priorities of the federal government’s sweeping Universities Accord is to improve employment conditions in higher education. This is long overdue. Australia’s university sector once set the standard for ...4 hours ago
- Yes, the 1.5 million Australians getting rent assistance need an increase, but more public housing i...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liam Davies, PhD Candidate, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University Image: David Kelly, Author provided Australia is in the grip of a housing crisis, with low-income households hit hardest by rising rents and falling vacancy rates. Social housing tenants were ...4 hours ago
- Why Lent is the perfect time to spiritually prepare for revolutionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristie Patricia Flannery, Research Fellow, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Francisco V. Coching’s Rendition of Gabriela Silang Charging on a Mount, 1986 (Ayala Museum). It was around this time of year back in 1763 that Filipino rebels ...4 hours ago
- Government eyes EV charging ‘hubs’ across the countryThe government’s planning to roll out dozens of new electric vehicle charging stations across the country in new “hubs” that would operate similar to existing petrol stations. The “charging our future” strategy has set a target of bringing in new hubs ever 150 to 200 kilometres along the state highways, ...4 hours ago
- The Bulletin: The fight to have a former All Black’s CTE recognised by ACCThis morning we bring you an exclusive on The Spinoff from Dylan Cleaver. Wellington rugby stalwart, one-game All Black and former New Zealand First MP Tutekawa Wyllie has had his probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) condition recognised and compensated for by the ACC after a five-year campaign. CTE is a brain ...4 hours ago
- Why governments are banning TikTok from phonesNew Zealand joins countries around the world by banning TikTok on government-issued devices as the US threatens an outright ban on the popular social media app, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...5 hours ago
- Warring building supplies firms tie up critical NZ land with 999-year covenants
Big building supply companies have fended off competition by wrapping desirable blocks of land in legal constraints on generations of NZers, alarming the Commerce Commission into issuing a far-reaching warning. Jonathan Milne reports. ...5 hours ago - Green Party Announces Environmental Lawyer Teall Crossen As Candidate For The Nelson ElectorateThe Green Party is announcing Teall Crossen as their candidate for the Nelson Whakatū electorate. Teall is an environmental barrister and activist with two decades of experience advocating for the rights of people and nature in the Courts in Aotearoa, ...6 hours ago
- Women refs rise with Aupiki
NZ Rugby wants to triple the number of female rugby referees - starting with the rise of Natarsha Ganley to Super Rugby honours, and handing a whistle to an Aupiki star player in a new scholarship. Suzanne McFadden writes. Natarsha Ganley loves rules. So during the week, she's on the lookout for ...6 hours ago - Inside the years-long fight to have a former All Black’s CTE recognised by ACCExclusive: All Black turned NZ First MP Tutekawa Wyllie and his wife Margaret have won a landmark battle that could open the floodgates for rugby-related head injury claims. Dylan Cleaver reports. Wellington rugby stalwart, one-game All Black and former New Zealand First MP Tutekawa Wyllie has had his probable chronic ...7 hours ago
- Shows of local strength deliver upsets in key Labour selection contestsDo the results in Mt Albert, Wellington Central and Christchurch East amount to thumbing noses at head office, or are they a sign of party strength? Across three Labour selection contests in three high-profile electorates over the last fortnight, candidates have succeeded from local foundations in seeing off rivals considered ...7 hours ago
- Disaster-in-waiting warn south’s farmers
Cyclone Gabrielle’s hammering of Hawkes Bay has ignited fears in Southland of bridges failing and farmland flooding through “mismanagement” of accumulated gravel Southland farmer Barry Taylor is frustrated gravel is being allowed to build up beneath a bridge on one of the country’s key tourist routes despite his years of ...7 hours ago - More 'how' less 'what' for social services
The Wellington City Missioner wants government agencies to move away from simply administering social services to the needy. ...7 hours ago - Book of the Week: Terfs, and other haters
This week's anti-trans rally is straight out of the right-wing playbook With strange and toxic prescience, a subject from the new study Histories of Hate: The Radical Right in Aotearoa New Zealand has leapt from the pages of the book into a major news story this week. The ...7 hours ago - Solomons PM joins Pacific push for NZ visa waiver access
More than half the visitor visa applications rejected by officials come from just nine Pacific nations ...7 hours ago - Healing te taiao: Moving on from peak pine
More than half of Aotearoa may need to be in native ngahere (bush) to merely blunt future worsening storms, but without such revolutionary change, Aotearoa could descend into a spiral of social, ecological, and economic damage Much of our land is without any trees, or is without the right trees, ...7 hours ago - Behind the story: Lobbying and the backdoor of our democracy
Unlike other countries around the world, New Zealand has no regulations about lobbying. Is change needed to ensure greater transparency about who's influencing our decision-makers? If you want to know who lobbies the Australian government on behalf of Air New Zealand, you simply go to an online register, type ...7 hours ago - How the Rakaia turned into a pipe for irrigators
Problems protecting NZ's biggest braided river were predicted years ago, papers show ...7 hours ago - China will test NZ's fence-straddling diplomacy as never before
NZ's likely Aukus involvement relating to technology will have far-reaching consequences ...7 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 23 March
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...8 hours ago - Throwing voting-age legislation onto the 'policy bonfire' only delays a debate that has to...Opinion - There's plenty of research supporting lowering the voting age to 16. Public debate and the law just need to catch up, Claire Breen writes. ...15 hours ago
- Word from The Hill: Reactions to AUKUS, next steps on the Voice, NSW electionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and ...16 hours ago
- Xi’s Moscow trip shows peace in Ukraine isn’t China’s main concernSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jingdong Yuan, Associate Professor, Asia-Pacific security, University of Sydney Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to Moscow this week has been more about reiterating China and Russia’s shared interests, and less about any concrete pathway towards ending the war in Ukraine. While a ...17 hours ago
- ‘Cultural expression through dress’: towards a definition of First Nations fashionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treena Clark, Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Indigenous Research Fellow, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney This May, Wiradjuri woman Denni Francisco and her label Ngali will be the first Indigenous designer to have a solo show at Australian Fashion Week. ...19 hours ago
- ‘Cultural expression through dress’: towards a definition of First Nations fashionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treena Clark, Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Indigenous Research Fellow, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney This May, Wiradjuri woman Denni Francisco and her label Ngali will be the first Indigenous designer to have a solo show at Australian Fashion Week. ...19 hours ago
- Yes, we see you. Why a national plan for homelessness must make thousands of children on their own a...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Robinson, Associate Professor in Housing and Communities, University of Tasmania Shutterstock Thousands of children end up being homeless in Australia without a parent or guardian. In 2021-22, 12,812 children (aged 10-17) were on their own when they sought help ...20 hours ago
- Yes, we see you. Why a national plan for homelessness must make thousands of children on their own a...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Robinson, Associate Professor in Housing and Communities, University of Tasmania Shutterstock Thousands of children end up being homeless in Australia without a parent or guardian. In 2021-22, 12,812 children (aged 10-17) were on their own when they sought help ...20 hours ago
- Credit Suisse is an anomaly: why Australia and New Zealand are safe from ‘bank run’ contagionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra There has been a lot of talk about the risk of financial contagion following the collapse of California’s Silicon Valley Bank. Perhaps too much talk. While the ...20 hours ago
- Credit Suisse is an anomaly: why Australia and New Zealand are safe from ‘bank run’ contagionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra There has been a lot of talk about the risk of financial contagion following the collapse of California’s Silicon Valley Bank. Perhaps too much talk. While the ...20 hours ago
- You Can’t Get Blood Out Of A Stone...20 hours ago
- Pacific needs to sit up and pay close attention to AUKUS, says Dame Meg TaylorA Pacific elder and former secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum says Pacific leaders need to sit up and pay closer attention to AUKUS and the Indo-Pacific strategy and China’s response to them. Speaking from Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, Dame Meg Taylor said Pacific leaders were being sidelined ...20 hours ago
- Cyclone Gabrielle: Robertson warns of delays to rebuild decisionsThe government says it should have details on which weather-hit areas are high risk within three weeks, and can then make decisions about rebuilding. ...20 hours ago
- What to expect when you’re expecting an El Niño (the answer might surprise you)Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carly Tozer, Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO Dean Lewins/AAP La Niña and El Niño are well-known terms in Australia these days. Linked to them are certain expectations: we expect wet conditions in La Niña and dry conditions in El Niño. These ...21 hours ago
- Called it: The Game is not coming to New ZealandPromoters say The Game has pulled out of his upcoming appearance at two legs of a new New Zealand hip-hop festival, continuing the Compton rapper’s sketchy attendance record in Aotearoa. In an announcement made on Facebook today, promoters Room Service say The Game, real name Jayceon Taylor, has “last-minute commitments” ...21 hours ago
- Te Whatu Ora reveals it has about 200 comms people, following criticism from NationalThe organisation has about 200 communications staff. The figure came in response to a Parliamentary written question from National. ...21 hours ago
- Counter-protests planned against anti-trans speakerCounter-protests are planned for this weekend as a controversial anti-trans campaigner speaks in two New Zealand cities. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull will be allowed into the country after Immigration NZ said the threshold to stop her had not been reached. In a tweet, Rainbow Greens, the group that released an open letter ...21 hours ago
- The magical world of restaurant staff mealsWe asked workers at some of our favourite food establishments to show us what they eat when the rush is over. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter The Boil Up. Last week was Work Week on The Spinoff, dedicated to unpacking our relationship with the world ...21 hours ago
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And people complain about lack of policy
The Greens are overflowing with good policy atm. Let’s hope some of it gets through 🙂
Am just sharing/clarifying some with The Chairman. 😉
That will piss Jenny Shipley off, although I see that she ceased being a director of Trans-Tasman Partnership a few years ago.
She seems to be struggling with some of her Directorships…
Mainzeal
Sentinel Assurance
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10866716
She’s doing quite well for Oravida, and Oravida Water. Wholesale squander of NZ water, exported straight to China.High time for the water tax.
Actually I think we need a rorter tax – on former MPs appointed to positions for which they have no qualifications.
“For the whales, it’s like someone dumping the contents of a vacuum cleaner onto their dinner plates.”
I feel the same way about this government
chuckling
The Greens have got my vote… oodles of good policy.
Aspirational – but why not? Imagine the dream team of them and LP.
Except there is zero evidence that any whale has ever been harmed by seabed mining, or oil drilling
What say we put a jack hammer to work on your living room floor and see how the family feels after a week?
Evidence that it won’t harm sea mammals is sketchy at best
http://www.epa.govt.nz/eez/EEZ000004/EEZ000004_Kiwis_Against_Seabed_Mining_Incorporated_Elisabeth_Slooten_Evidence.pdf
A policy proposal that has zero evidence to support it? Sounds like your kind of policy.
Dead mammals tell no tales
We could expect applicants undertake studies to prove they will do no harm, rather than the other way round.
“This study presents evidence that the STB is a blue whale foraging ground and is an example of how extraction of marine resources can be sanctioned without a complete understanding of potential impacts on the environment or biodiversity. Human activities have already dramatically reduced blue whale numbers, leaving only a remnant population (Branch et al. 2004 Branch, TA, Matsuoka, K and Miyashita, T. 2004. Evidence for increases in Antarctic blue whales based on Bayesian modelling. Marine Mammal Science, 20: 726–754. doi:10.1111/j.1748-7692.2004.tb01190.x
[Crossref], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
; Branch 2007 Branch, TA. 2007. Abundance of Antarctic blue whales south of 60 S from three complete circumpolar sets of surveys. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 9: 253–262.
[Google Scholar]
). Foraging is a critical life history component of any animal, and for blue whales, the ability to encounter reliable, dense prey aggregations can dramatically impact survival and reproductive rates. Outside of the Antarctic there are few documented blue whale foraging grounds in the Southern Hemisphere. It is therefore essential that a firm understanding of blue whale distribution and habitat use patterns within the STB is gained before anthropogenic activities escalate to levels of disturbance that could cause displacement of blue whales from a potentially critical foraging ground.” http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00288330.2013.773919
So, a small number of endangered creatures forage in an area about to be seabed mined but Steven thinks (I suggest the balance of probabilities is fair) that messing with their foraging grounds will not detrimentally impact them. The arrogance of the greedy human. The bizarre thing is he seems to be suggesting we do the seabed mining and when we find out it destroys mammals in the area we put that forward as evidence…. notwithstanding that the companies will do what they can to block the evidence gathering.
Extinct mammals tell no tales.
Oops! Logged out unwittingly/automatically.
“zero evidence”
Just out of interest, Steve, hard evidence aside, do you reckon marine mammals, including whales, are adversely affected by oil drilling or seabed mining and all that goes with those activities? I know I do, I’m just wondering, do you?
(Sorry, moderator – must have logged out somehow)
Yes Steve – and you said the same thing about Climate Change.
I think your considered opinions can be taken for what they are:
Crap
The National Government are incredibly keen on tourism ($$$$)but, at the same time, have pursued policies which are totally opposed to the preservation of the very features that draw tourists to NZ and which threaten to destroy the advertised clean green image that the Government has promoted.
There has been a disregard of the importance of leaving the country in a decent condition for future generations. Unmitigated greed, changing the “standards” to hide the worsening stats and flogging off as much as they can for instant reward and for the benefit a just a few has been the modus operandi .
The idea of a marine mammal sanctuary suggested by the Greens is an excellent one. We need a Labour -Green Government to save what is left of this country from the “jackals”.
Great policy Great party Go GREENS
Not sure if anybody has seen this?
The Footage is quite frankly Fucking disgusting to see or watch and it no wonder the Arige Navy blew these assholes out of the water sometime ago.
And remember NZ did this once using the A4 Skyhawk’s in the late 70’s as poor Navy ship couldn’t catch the two fishing as they were out running the Navy ship.
Because if the greens want to send the Navy and the RNZAF on Fishery Patrols then the Navy must the right gear to the job properly aka ships fit for purpose as the current OPV’s when carrying the Seasprite Helicopter pushes the Ships ice belt well below the water (when the current OPV’s are a 100ton overweight already) and launching the RIB of the side in a high sea state is not with out risk, the necessary Rules Of Engagement, Orders For Opening Firing and Orders for Detainment aka arrest on the high seas.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/08/wildlife-watch-galapagos-illegal-shark-fishing.html
Sorry for my strong foul mouth language.
Here’s China’s reply to the above.
http://thediplomat.com/2017/08/china-no-evidence-proving-chinese-vessel-fishing-in-ecuadors-waters/
sigh