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Water extraction should be considered a sensitive asset under new consultation launched today on the Overseas Investment Act review, Green Party Coleader Marama Davidson said today.

The Green Party announced at their 2018 AGM that water bottling issues would be involved in the next consultation of the Overseas Investment review.

The Government is going the extra mile backing the Sustainable Business Network’s Million Metres Streams’ project with a $200,000 funding boost, Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage announced today.

“I am excited to be able to announce this funding from the Community Environment Fund for the Million Metres project in time for this year’s autumn planting season.

“The Million Metres project aims to improve water quality by restoring native vegetation along more than 500 kms of New Zealand’s waterways which makes up more than 1 million metres.

A block of native forest which is home to threatened native frogs /pepeketua and Coromandel brown kiwi will be preserved after being purchased by the Nature Heritage Fund.

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage today announced the formal protection of 130 hectares of native forest, at Papa Aroha, 11 kilometres north of Coromandel township. 

“The owners offered the Aradia block to the Fund to guarantee it would be protected for future generations,” Eugenie Sage said.

The land is covered by logged kauri forest and tairaire-tawa forest with emerging stands of rata.

The Green Party is disappointed that the Ngāi Tahu Representation Bill to increase tangata whenua representation on the Canterbury Regional Council was voted down at first reading today, says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.

“While tangata whenua have guaranteed political rights on a national level, representation is often lacking or non-existent in local government. This does not always make for robust decision making and in the past has led to significant breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” Marama Davidson said.