New research showing that three quarters of fresh water pollution is coming from streams exempt from fencing requirements means that new measures are needed to stop the pollution of our waterways, the Green Party said today. A new study, led by the principal scientist for Ag Research Invermay’s Environment Group, shows that streams currently exempt from fencing regulations contribute 73 percent of total nitrogen and 84 percent of dissolved reactive phosphorus into waterways. “Requiring farmers to fence off larger rivers...

Official advice released to the Green Party under the Official Information Act shows that the previous National Government dismissed an option to make road safety its most important transport priority after being told the road toll was rising. Ministry of Transport officials proposed making ‘road safety’ the highest strategic priority for the 2018 Transport Strategy, saying it would increase safety benefits (i.e. by saving lives and reducing serious injuries) by 17 percent.1 However, National chose ‘economic growth and productivity’ as...

The next government needs to commit to a goal of zero harm on our roads to address the rapidly rising numbers of people being killed on them, the Green Party said today.

The Green Party today welcomed a call from leaders of seven key environmental organisations for the major political parties to prioritise protecting the environment

Judith Collins should release a new report, that had been due to come out this week, showing what the Government knew about the vulnerability of the fuel pipeline into Auckland, the Green Party said today. RNZ reported this morning that a Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment report highlighting the fuel pipeline’s vulnerability was due out this week, but has not been published because of the rupture. Collins said she hadn’t seen the draft report. “With the election looming, New...

The Green Party welcomes today’s announcement from Foodstuffs that they will switch to completely cage-free eggs by 2027 in their supermarkets nationwide, and is calling on all supermarkets, to follow suit. “To have one of New Zealand’s biggest grocery distributors commit to going cage-free is fantastic,” said Green Party animal welfare spokesperson Mojo Mathers.   “This is a strong message that time’s up for cruel cages and colony production. “Foodstuffs’ leadership will further increase the financial stability for New Zealand’s...

National’s last minute pitch to get the Trans Pacific Partnership 11 (TPP-11) agreement across the line just days before the general election should not bind the new incoming government, the Green Party said today. Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) negotiators begin meeting in Japan today to negotiate the final package for the TPP, now called the TPP-11 since the US pulled out. This is the deal that will be presented for final agreement by Ministers in November. “The...

Decades of underinvestment in Auckland’s public transport and minimal uptake of electric vehicles under National are being highlighted by the looming petrol shortage, the Green Party said today. “If more Aucklanders had access to reliable trains, buses, safe cycle routes or an electric car, this temporary disruption to petrol supplies wouldn’t be such a big deal for commuters,” said Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter. “The fact is, many Aucklanders still don’t have access to fast, reliable public transport...

The Green Party today published its fully costed policy manifesto along with an independent analysis of its fiscal implications. The independent fiscal analysis, by economics consultancy Infometrics using Treasury data, shows that in government the Greens will be able to deliver real action on climate change, cleaner rivers, and significant poverty reductions while running surpluses and paying down debt, as per the party’s Budget Responsibility Rules. “This fiscal plan ties together everything we’ve promised this year and provides the substance...

Green Party co-leader James Shaw announced today his party’s commitment to funding the Rocks Road Cycleway in Nelson. The Green Party has committed $23 million to fund the project, which involves creating a three-metre shared path on the seaward side of Rocks road, widening on-road cycle lanes, and a new cycleway from Tahunanui Beach to Annesbrook. “This project has the potential to transform Nelson’s waterfront, by making Rocks Road a safe and inviting place for people to walk or cycle,”...