Landcorp’s backing away from dairy is great news for the environment

Landcorp’s decision to review its conversion of forestry land to dairy farms in the upper Waikato is a cause for celebration, the Green Party said today.

“We’ve been calling for a moratorium on Landcorp’s dairy conversions in the upper Waikato in order to stop the further degradation of the Waikato River and its catchment,” said Green Party water spokesperson Catherine Delahunty.

“We hope that, in order to protect the Waikato River from the pollution that would be created by these conversions, Landcorp chooses to stop dairy conversions altogether, and find a way to use the land that is economically and environmentally sound.

“Any time we have asked the Government about a moratorium on the conversions to dairy, the Government has held up their hands and said they were powerless to break the contract between Landcorp, a state owned enterprise, and landowners Wairakei Pastoral.

“But media reports have revealed that the land can be used for other forms of farming, and Landcorp could renegotiate the lease with Wairakei Pastoral.

“We’ve asked the Government to show us the contract it has with Wairakei Pastoral but we’ve been refused on the grounds of commercial sensitivity.

“It’s clear the Government doesn’t want the public and the 8000 people who joined us in calling for the conversions to stop, to know the real story.

“If Landcorp decides to continue with its proposed dairy conversions, around 1.6m litres of cow waste will enter the catchment each day from 43,000 cows. It doesn’t make any sense, economically or environmentally, to persist with unsustainable dairy conversions,” Ms Delahunty said.

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing Aotearoa. Volu...

Action

Save Auckland's Climate Budget

Sign the petition to stop Mayor Wayne Brown's proposal for dangerous cuts to climate and environmental programmes that protect us from extreme weat...

Action

No New Mines 2023

Action

Expand Voting

Now more than ever, young people in Aotearoa are impacted by Government decisions, and they deserve to have a say. We are calling on all Members of...

Action

End Intensive Winter Grazing

Sign the petition to Labour Ministers, to move faster in bringing regulations into force and end intensive winter grazing.

Action

Trains for Climate

Add your name to our open letter urging the Minister for Finance Grant Robertson to save our passenger trains between Wellington, the Wairarapa and...

Action

Healthy Oceans 2022

Join our Healthy Oceans Crew to help us keep the health and protection of our oceans high on the Labour Government’s political agenda.

Action

It's time: A Ministry for Rainbow Communities

Join our call asking the Prime Minister to establish a Ministry for Rainbow Communities that can champion Rainbow issues.

Action

No new mines on conservation land

Sign the open letter asking Labour Ministers to stick to their promise of banning new mining projects on conservation land.

Action

Allow community ownership of our buses

Public transport is an essential service and helps to tackle the climate crisis by reducing our carbon emissions. But there are barriers to communi...

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

Green Party calls for stronger action by Auckland Council to protect urban trees and native forest

The Green Party is calling on Auckland Council to do more to protect urban trees and housing developer Aedifice Property Group to restore and repla...

You wood not believe it: Greens secure win for urban trees

The Green Party’s advocacy has secured an amendment to the Natural and Built Environment Bill at a crucial stage of the Parliamentary process to en...

Forestry sector must compensate for slash damage

The Green Party welcomes today’s release of the report of the Ministerial Inquiry into slash and sediment, and are clear that the forestry industry...

Greens launch petition to protect conservation lands from mining by Mineralogy International Limited

The Green Party has today launched a petition calling for conservation land to be protected from mining by big overseas companies such as Mineralog...

National's drought of ideas won't help farmers facing climate change

Christopher Luxon and the National Party have once again presented another lazy, back-of-the-napkin policy to Aotearoa.

Freshwater crisis needs stronger government action

New Zealand’s rivers, lakes and freshwater are in crisis and there needs to be a more ambitious Government plan to clean them up and protect agains...