New research highlights the importance of New Zealand’s wetlands for one of our most secretive native birds, the Australasian bittern or matuku, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said today on World Wetlands Day.   GPS tracking of matuku/bittern has, for the first time, revealed that this threatened swamp dweller flies more than 300 km between wetlands in the eastern South Island as well as large distances between North Island wetland sites. Previously it was thought bittern ranged only small distances from...

Edward Ellison is the new Chairperson of the New Zealand Conservation Authority (NZCA), Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. A sheep farmer on the Otago Peninsula, Mr Ellison has previously served on the NZCA, Otago Conservation Board, Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Board, the South-East Marine Protection Forum and the Otago University Council.  The NZCA is a national statutory body that provides strategic policy advice to the Department of Conservation and the Minister.  It also has statutory functions around approving...

​Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson will be speaking at the annual Waihopai spy base demonstration this Saturday January 26, protesting against international spying which puts the human rights and privacy of global citizens at risk.

The Ministry of Justice has released a summary of feedback on draft guidance for information sharing under new family violence legislation. The Family Violence Act 2018 outlines how and when family violence agencies and social services practitioners can share information about victims or perpetrators of family violence. “The purpose of the new law is to encourage agencies to work together to identify, stop, prevent and otherwise respond to family violence,” says Jan Logie, Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice (Domestic...

The Green Party welcome the National Party to the drug law reform conversation, with Paula Bennett announced today as the party’s spokesperson on the issue.   

With temperatures high around the country, Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter has launched the Ministry of Health’s new Heat Health Plan Guidelines. “Climate change is a big threat to our society, and we need to plan for anticipated weather like hotter days now,” says Ms Genter. “Although it is great to enjoy the outdoors, getting too hot is a serious risk that will happen more in our future. Our health will be impacted by climate change, and we need...

Hardship grants rising demonstrates why the baseline benefit needs to increase, Green Co-leader Marama Davidson said today.  

The Green Party congratulate E tū Sistema members who have secured a collective agreement that will ensure a 16% pay increase and a commitment to always pay workers above minimum wage.

The Minister for Climate Change congratulates recipients in the 2019 New Year’s Honours whose work is helping Aotearoa New Zealand understand and address climate change.   James Shaw has extended his congratulations to Sir Stephen Tindall, now a Knight Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to business, the community, and the environment.   “Sir Stephen gives valuable leadership in support of climate change action and environmental work with his philanthropic organisations providing millions of...

In the lead up to Christmas the Green Party have launched a #wastefreeholidays campaign, aimed at reducing waste over the holidays.