Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage and Associate Finance Minister David Clark have granted an application under the Overseas Investment Act 2005 for Cresswell NZ Ltd to purchase land to expand the existing Otakiri Springs water bottling plant near Whakatane. The decision is conditional on the company providing an additional 60 fulltime jobs and getting the resource consents it needs under the Resource Management Act (RMA). The Ministers have gone beyond the standard template to ensure the promised jobs eventuate by...

At an event in Auckland today 12 local and international businesses signed a declaration to tackle plastic waste, Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage announced. The businesses chose World Environment Day today, with its theme of “Beat Plastic Pollution”, to commit to using 100 percent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging in their New Zealand operations by 2025 or earlier. New Zealand-based businesses that signed the NZ Plastic Packaging Declaration are Foodstuffs, Countdown, New Zealand Post and Frucor Suntory. Other businesses include...

International visitors will pay more than locals for DOC huts and campsites on New Zealand’s four most popular Great Walks as part of a trial for the 2018/19 season, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. “New Zealand’s nine Great Walks are premier tracks that pass through unique and spectacular scenery and are a magnet for international visitors,” Eugenie Sage said. “The seven month trial from October 2018 to April 2019 will provide information on the effectiveness of pricing as a...

Children will learn about waste and recycling with a Sustainability Trust-run programme getting a $157,000 grant from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund, Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. The Minister also announced $100,000 for Environment Hubs Aotearoa from the Community Environment Fund. “The Sustainability Trust’s new “Your Sustainable School” programme will improve waste and recycling infrastructure at primary schools in the Wellington region, and help the whole school community develop a zero-waste culture,” Eugenie Sage said. “Across New Zealand...

A taskforce is being set up to deal with the impact of the Chinese Government’s ban on the import of many recycling materials, Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. Introduced last year, the Chinese regulations banned the import of some types of waste materials including mixed recyclables. New Zealand is one of many countries impacted, and faces similar issues to Australia. New Zealand had been sending 15 million kg to China annually – mainly mixed paper and mixed plastics...

An ambitious plan to eradicate pests from Taranaki will get an $11.7 million funding injection from Predator Free 2050 Ltd, Conservation Minister, Eugenie Sage announced today. Taranaki Taku Tūranga – a region-wide collaboration between Taranaki Regional Council and rural landowners, aims to eradicate introduced predators from native habitats. The project starts near New Plymouth and will be progressively rolled out across 4,500 hectares of farmland surrounding the Taranaki/Egmont National Park. The area will be defended from re-infestation by a 'virtual...

Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announced funding to increase E-waste recycling and avoid it ending up in landfills. “Auckland company Mint Innovation use chemistry and microbiology processes to recover valuable metals from electronic waste such as mobile phones and computers.  Mint are conducting a technical feasibility study for deployment of the technology in New Zealand using a $80,000 grant from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF),” Eugenie Sage said. “Tackling E-waste is one of my key priorities as Associate...

  Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announced funding to increase E-waste recycling and avoid it ending up in landfills. “Auckland company Mint Innovation use chemistry and microbiology processes to recover valuable metals from electronic waste such as mobile phones and computers.  Mint are conducting a technical feasibility study for deployment of the technology in New Zealand using a $80,000 grant from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF),” Eugenie Sage said. “Tackling E-waste is one of my key priorities as...

Public input will be sought on proposals to enact the Government’s policy of no new mines on conservation land, Conservation Minister, Eugenie Sage announced today. Last November, in her Speech from the Throne, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced there would be no new mines on conservation land. The Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage and Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods, will consult the mining sector, iwi, local government, environmental and community groups, and the wider public, through a discussion document to...

Plastic recycling company Astron is getting $500,000 under the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund to expand its plastic recycling facility in New Zealand, Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. “The Government is committed to reducing the amount of waste going to landfill or being shipped offshore,” Eugenie Sage said. “Improving our onshore ability to recycle plastics into new, useful products is really important, particularly given the pressures on the recycling export sector with reduced markets and lower prices for exporting...