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...

The Māori advisory group to the Government’s joint venture on family violence and sexual violence began their work today at their first meeting in Wellington. “Te Rōpū marks a significant change to the way Government works with Māori to address some of our most complex and difficult problems,” says Jan Logie. “It brings together a wide range of expertise from across the motu. “Our work to stop family violence and sexual violence is critical, and needs Māori leadership. There are...

The Green Party have today called on schools to follow the law and accept kids that have been denied enrollment because they have a history of truancy or no fixed address.   

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage, in launching a new visitor behaviour campaign, says the Department of Conservation (DOC) is well prepared for a busy summer with more resources to respond to growing domestic and international visitor numbers. “The ‘Visit the Kiwi way- Look after our place’ campaign aims to help all visitors to understand the need to have as little impact as possible on our wild spaces and natural areas,” Eugenie Sage said. “The campaign encourages people to travel responsibly and...

A new plan to reverse the decline of all five kiwi species was launched by Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage at a kiwi release on Taranaki Mounga today. “The Kiwi Recovery Plan/Mahere Whakaora Kiwi 2018-2028 signals an exciting new phase in kiwi conservation, with a focus on protecting kiwi populations in the wild and increasing the populations of all eight kiwi species,” Eugenie Sage said.  “Right now, kiwi are declining at a rate of 2 per cent per year, mainly due...

The Green Party welcome today’s plan to address the synthetic drugs crisis and broader addiction problems in Aotearoa New Zealand.   

Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice (Domestic and Sexual Violence Issues) Jan Logie today launched a new website to provide information about justice processes to survivors of sexual violence and their advocates. “This new online guide responds to the overwhelming feedback from victims and survivors about the need for better access to information to help them understand the justice process,” says Jan Logie. The online guide has been informed by the Law Commission Te Aka Matua o te Ture...

The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop sending homeless people into thousands of dollars of debt with the Ministry of Social Development.  Green Party Marama Davidson says that people at their wits end should not be charged for being put up in emergency housing.

The Green Party welcomes the passage of medicinal cannabis legislation that provides certainty and clarity to patients and their whānau.