Conservation

nature and climate

Greens commit to undoing attacks on conservation and environment laws

The Green Party has announced at the March for Nature in Auckland that, if elected, it will ensure that conservation land is managed for nature, not for profit, and that there are strong limits on activity that might harm the wider environment.“Today, people from across Aotearoa have stood up yet again against the Coalition Government's attacks on nature and public conservation land. The Green Party is marching with them because corporate interests should never come at the expense of our...

Posted at September 19, 2026 2:59 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Public pressure on Conservation Amendment Bill forces roll back but meaningless as worst elements still remain

Public pressure has forced the Coalition Government to roll back parts of the Conservation Amendment Bill, but changes are essentially meaningless when the remaining clauses could still have disastrous ramifications, says the Green Party. “While we welcome the Select Committee’s decision to abandon the controversial conservation land exchange and disposal provisions, New Zealanders should remain extremely concerned about the ‘squeeze any economic value at any cost’ approach of the economic clauses in the Bill,” says Green Party environment spokesperson Lan Pham. ...

Posted at September 03, 2026 3:52 PM by Lan Pham

nature and climate

Calls for fisheries amendment bill to be dropped completely

The Green Party is welcoming the Government's backdown on the Fisheries Amendment Bill, but says the Bill needs to be scrapped completely, not just delayed.“The Government may be at war with nature in their plans to privatise our oceans, conservation land and waterways, but people are pushing back and winning,” says Green Party Co-leader and Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick. Fisheries Minister Shane Jones today confirmed he would delay the Bill until after the election.   “This is the same...

Posted at July 08, 2026 4:14 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

People and nature first in Greens’ rivers and oceans policy

The Green Party is calling foul on the Luxon Government’s dismantling of environmental protection, announcing a policy programme to deliver clean drinking water, swimmable rivers and beaches, and healthy oceans for all New Zealanders.“This is about protecting our taiao. The Green Party has announced its policy programme ‘Drink Swim Fish’ which will deliver far reaching environmental change and protect human and ecological health from harm caused by corporate greed,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson. “Clean, healthy water is a human right,...

Posted at July 06, 2026 1:45 PM by Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

Conservation Amendment Bill needs to start again

The Green Party says Conservation Minister Tama Potaka's decision to drop the disposal and exchange clauses from his Conservation Amendment Bill shows public pressure is working, but the whole Bill needs to be pulled and the reform started again.  "This is a backdown forced by tens of thousands of New Zealanders who refused to let their wild places be put on the market. The Minister has finally heard them, but removing these clauses does not fix a Bill that was built to...

Posted at June 25, 2026 3:00 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Green Party will protect public conservation land for future generations

The Green Party is announcing in government it will overhaul the laws protecting Aotearoa's conservation land and wildlife, scrapping the Government's current reform and starting again with a process focused on protecting what we have for future generations.“Our public conservation land is not the Government's to sell. It belongs to all of us, and to the generations who come after us. Conservation reform should give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, put indigenous-led land stewardship at the centre, and make...

Posted at June 25, 2026 11:05 AM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Bill would protect public conservation land this Government wants to mine

Green Party Member Lan Pham's Bill to prohibit mining on conservation land has been drawn from the ballot today. "Conservation land belongs to all of us. It is set aside to protect native plants, wildlife and the places New Zealanders love, not to be dug up for private profit," says Green Party environment spokesperson Lan Pham.  "This Bill simply protects conservation land in the way most New Zealanders would expect. It keeps conservation land for protection for everyone to enjoy, not exploitation for a few. It shuts the door...

Posted at May 21, 2026 4:44 PM by Lan Pham

nature and climate

Luxon’s Government guts conservation protections

The Green Party says the Government is bringing in the bulldozers to rip up New Zealand’s precious landscapes by making it easier to privatise public conservation land.“This Government has made it clear that when forced to choose between the interests of industry or the interests of the law, the public, and the environment, it will always choose the bulldozer,” says Green Party Co-leader and spokesperson for conservation Marama Davidson.  “Conservation land will be able to be sold off to mining companies and developers to make a quick buck under the changes announced...

Posted at May 07, 2026 3:58 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Greens celebrate Court of Appeal decision to protect Waihi Forest from mining

The Green Party is celebrating a Court of Appeal decision to protect public land in the Wharekirauponga Forest from being ‘gifted’ to mining companies.“This Court of Appeal decision upholds the principle that public land belongs to New Zealanders and our wildlife,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson.  The decision relates to the Waihi North extension of OceanaGold's Waihi mine.  “There is no way this beautiful piece of native forest, or any publicly owned land, should be turned over to an Australian mining...

Posted at April 22, 2026 3:05 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Government sacrifices nature to the bulldozer

Christopher Luxon’s Government continues to show its true colours on environmental protection, today rejecting most of the advice of expert panels established to consider the right level of protection for stewardship land on the West Coast, and reducing the protection of tens of thousands of hectares recommended for National Park status.“The Government’s announcement today shows their complete disregard for, and failure to, protect our taonga places and species,” says the Green Party’s conservation spokesperson, Marama Davidson. “Our national parks and...

Posted at December 11, 2025 1:35 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Marama Davidson Mining Revocation Announcement Speech

Today, we are announcing that a Green Government will commit to revoking any consents or permits handed out under the fast-track process for coal, gold and seabed mines.These projects, if approved, will have been through a process that categorically fails to meet our standards of transparency, accountability, and environmental responsibility. We don’t believe that’s acceptable. More importantly, these types of mining are profoundly destructive. Each leaves behind polluted water, scarred landscapes, and divided communities. They extract resources from our land,...

Posted at November 17, 2025 2:57 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Greens pledge to revoke most destructive fast-track mining consents

Today, the Greens are announcing that a Green Government will commit to revoking any consents or permits handed out under the fast-track process for coal, Hardrock gold and seabed mining.“The fast-track process fails even the most basic standards of transparency, accountability, and environmental protection,” says Green Party Co-leader, Marama Davidson. “We can have an economy that employs people without destroying the ecological basis of our existence for the profits of the few. But, if we are serious about leaving behind...

Posted at November 17, 2025 2:12 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Sad day for democracy as RSB passes second reading

Despite a resounding majority of submitters opposing the Regulatory Standards Bill, Luxon’s Government has pushed it through second reading.“New Zealanders made it clear they don’t want this zombie Frankenstein of the Treaty Principles Bill. Today Christopher Luxon has chosen to ignore them,” says Green Party Co-leader, Chlöe Swarbrick. “Our country has real problems we could be fixing, but instead the Government is stroking the ACT Party’s ego by reviving and pushing through their vanity project which has failed three times...

Posted at November 04, 2025 4:37 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

Chlöe Swarbrick AGM Speech 2025

I want everyone to take a deep breath.I’m serious. I’ll do it with you. Hā ki roto. Hā ki waho. I’m sure this is exactly what our friends in the media think that we do at a Green Party conference. In case you missed it guys, the Morris dancing was last night. I’m joking. But back to the breath. In. Out. We’re here, together. Right now. We’re alive. There’s a lot going on in our world. Genocide. Exploitation. Harm and...

Posted at August 10, 2025 2:44 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

Greens urge people to come together for change

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has rallied the party membership to get out there, get organised, and help the party build the most progressive Government Aotearoa has ever seen.“When we show up and grow our movement beyond traditional circles, we win. The people win,” Chlöe Swarbrick told the Party’s Annual General Meeting in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington today. “New Zealanders care about each other and the planet we all share.  “We build the world we deserve not in speeches, or in...

Posted at August 10, 2025 2:40 PM by Chlöe Swarbrick

nature and climate

Marama Davidson AGM Speech 2025

Ko te rākau e tupu ana, e taea te whakahoki, ki te one i tupu ake ai. Nō reira, ko tātou ko te kauri, ko te kauri ko tātou.Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.  Nearly 200 years ago, our shared ancestors landed on a promise to “take the best possible care of each other.”  To care for future generations.  And to care for the lands we live on. The promise of Tiriti justice offers us a unique opportunity to...

Posted at August 09, 2025 2:11 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Greens aim high for sake of people and planet

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson has set out her party's ambitions to be a leading force in the next Government at the party's Annual General Meeting in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington today. “We’re not here to just lead the opposition, we are here because we want to lead the next Government, the most progressive Government Aotearoa has seen,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.   “Real power lies with us, the people. When we come together - grounded in care for each other...

Posted at August 09, 2025 2:10 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Wildlife law change a deep betrayal of public trust

The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s use of urgency to rewrite the Wildlife Act–without consultation, without an impact statement, and in direct response to a court ruling in favour of protecting wildlife.“The Government is rushing legislation through Parliament to make it easier to kill kiwi and other precious wildlife," says Green Party co-leader and Conservation spokesperson, Marama Davidson. “Our native taonga should be treasured. They connect us to our whenua and whakapapa, and form a critical component of...

Posted at May 08, 2025 9:59 AM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Govt funding for biodiversity an embarrassment

The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country.“Touting this funding announcement as a win for biodiversity is frankly embarrassing, given the deep cuts made to conservation last year,” says the Green Party spokesperson for Conservation, Marama Davidson. “We can and must do more to protect biodiversity in our country by adequately funding conservation programmes through comprehensive, government-backed stewardship. “This new funding...

Posted at February 17, 2025 5:25 PM by Marama Davidson

nature and climate

Fast-track submissions period must be extended

The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. "Smoke, mirrors and shadows continue to shroud the Government’s fast-track legislation,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson.  “It is outrageous for Minister Bishop to release the list of stakeholders invited to participate in the fast-track process only hours before public submissions close and after...

Posted at April 19, 2024 4:26 PM by Marama Davidson