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. 

The Waitangitaona River on the South Island’s West Coast will have one name but it will be spelt correctly under a decision made by Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage. Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio proposed to the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB) in July 2017 that river be given two names: Waitangitāhuna River downstream from Whataroa and Waitakitahuna-ki-te-Toka upstream, after the original river split in two in a flood in 1967.  After public consultation, Te Rūnanga...

The Green Party welcomes passage of the Government’s Child Poverty Reduction Bill, which lays the foundation for genuinely pulling New Zealand kids out of poverty.  

A second report released by Police yesterday shows that the previous National Government established a secret intelligence group involving oil and gas companies, Thompson and Clark, and state departments including the NZ Defence Force, Police and MBIE to protect the interests of the oil and gas industry.

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says conservation, including marine reserves and sports fish like trout, will be better protected as a result of new law passed last night by Parliament. The Conservation (Infringement System) Act enables the Department of Conservation (DOC) to use infringement notices for lower level offending instead of a warning or prosecution through the courts. “I’m pleased that conservation managers now have a new tool for dealing with offending against conservation legislation,” Eugenie Sage said. “Previously DOC, local...

The Green Party welcomes the binding referendum on recreational cannabis at the 2020 election as announced by Justice Minister Andrew Little today. 

“Today’s report from the State Services Commission shows Government departments colluded with private security firms working for oil and gas companies to spy on New Zealanders,” Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. 

Regulations for mandatory phase out of single-use plastic shopping bags to be in force from 1 July 2019. Associate Minister for the Environment, Eugenie Sage has today confirmed retailers will no longer be able to sell or give away single-use plastic shopping bags from 1 July 2019, after Cabinet agreed to the proposed regulations for a mandatory nationwide phase out of these bags. “Plastic shopping bags are a hazard for nature, particularly marine wildlife. They can also introduce harmful microplastics...

Scientific evidence in a new report on long-term wetland loss in Southland shows our wetlands urgently need better protection, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says. Published online in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology, the scientific report details wetland loss in Southland by analysing and comparing satellite images of wetlands taken in 1990 and 2012. This covers a longer timeframe than any other Southland wetland loss study. “The study’s timeframe is significant. After 1990, legislative tools were put in place to...