The Green Party will improve the ways we use and care for land, for the sake of current and future generations, other species, and ecosystem health. We will ensure that land use and land cover are managed in accordance with Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Protecting soils and minimising the impacts of mining will be priorities.
Vision
Land and soil ecosystems are protected and regenerated for present and future generations, to nurture our wellbeing and livelihoods, and provide food, medicine, and spiritual fulfilment.
Values and Principles
- Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi: We affirm tino rangatiratanga of iwi, hapū and whānau as kaitiaki of this whenua. The perspectives, approaches, needs, and aspirations of tangata whenua are embedded in the philosophy and approach to land and soil management.
- Ecological Wisdom: We must respect land and soil as part of the ecosystems we rely on. Soil ecosystems have intrinsic value, and humanity needs to steward the natural world by understanding and working within the carrying capacity of the land.
- Social Responsibility: The need for equity in the sustainable use of land and soil resources is acknowledged.
- Appropriate Decision-Making: Good governance (i.e., the processes by which institutions and other parties make and implement decisions in order to manage resources efficiently and ensure human rights), and strong institutions should underpin land and soil management.
- Non-Violence: Conflict resolution over land and soil management should ensure no violence is felt by te taiao, the creatures that call it home, and always honour Te Tiriti.
- The mauri of land - its cultural, spiritual, historical, conservation and ecological aspects - are prioritised. At the same time, agricultural land is valued for its ability to produce healthy food, fibre and wood and is regenerated and managed sustainably to ensure that its productive potential is protected and enhanced.
Strategic Priorities
The Green Party’s strategic goals include:
“All native species and their habitats will be thriving or on a path to recovery in terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments.
Our laws and practices will respect the biological integrity of all life, while prioritising the health of indigenous species and ecosystems.
The customary and decision making roles of whānau, hapū and iwi will be integral to decisions about resource use.
Decision-making about resource use will provide for community participation and environmental justice.”
Actions in this policy that will help achieve this include:
- Upholding the right of tangata whenua to exercise customary practices regarding soil sovereignty and māra kai on their land. (1.1.2)
- Using both mātauranga Māori and Western science in research and the development of land and soil policies and practices. (2.1.3)
- Encouraging and resourcing landowners and communities to set marginal and erosion-prone lands aside for permanent revegetation. (1.5.1)
- Encouraging and supporting the use of soil conservation and earthworks best practice, including mechanical and biological control techniques (2.2.3)
- Ensure that the regulatory framework for mining avoids and mitigates harms (3.1)
- End the extraction of coal, oil, and gas, consistent with the urgency and necessity of limiting global heating to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels (3.5)
Connected Policies
This policy discusses land use and soils within the context of Biodiversity and Environmental Regeneration, alongside our Freshwater and Marine Policies. Land health is impacted by human activity, including Agriculture, Forestry, Housing and Sustainable Communities, Waste and Hazardous Substances, and Climate Change. Resource extraction from land can be minimised through resource and Waste management, including circular economy practices.
For our response to colonial land dispossession, please see our Kaupapa Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi Policies.
