National is attempting to control local government in Canterbury, and is denying its people the right to make their own decisions, the Green Party said today. The Government has proposed to have no regional council elections for Environment Canterbury Regional Council (ECan) until 2016 and then to have Ministers appoint six members of the 13-person regional council after the 2016 elections. ECan has been run by seven Government-appointed commissioners since 2010. "National doesn't seem to trust the people of Canterbury...

The Government has distanced itself from the Auckland Council decision to allow the destruction of a centuries-old kauri and rimu trees in Titirangi to make way for two houses, the Green Party said today. When asked by Green Party conservation spokesperson Eugenie Sage in Parliament today about the lack of protection afforded to the kauri by the Resource Management Act, Environment Minister Nick Smith said it was up to councils to decide the fate of such trees and he would...

Environment Canterbury (ECan) needs to revise the proposed Canterbury regional air plan and beef up its monitoring and controls on harmful airborne particles to protect the health of Christchurch and Timaru residents, the Green Party said today. The call follows today’s release of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s  report on "The State of Air Quality in New Zealand". Among recommendations made by Commissioner Dr Jan Wright was a call for the Ministry for the Environment to include monitoring and...

Unpopular changes to the Christchurch district plan are a sign that democratic decision making is still being withheld from the people of Christchurch, the Green Party said today. The significant changes are being made by the Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) and include removing urban design standards, creating the ability to bypass the resource consent process for some new developments, and removing the requirement to notify resource consent applications. “Up to 97% of people who submitted on these changes oppose...

The Green Party today commended the Government for attempting to redress what has been a chaotic restructuring at the Department of Conservation (DoC) but said the response doesn’t go far enough. “National’s funding cuts caused a major restructuring at DoC 18 months ago which destabilised the department and has put endangered habitats and species at further risk because of the loss of technical expertise and fewer staff,” said Green Party conservation spokesperson Eugenie Sage. “Piloting a new structure in Nelson/Marlborough...

A new study on increasing ocean temperatures released today highlights the urgent need for the Government to take action on climate change, the Green Party said today.

The National government needs to stop beating up on local government and develop the type of genuine partnership that Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is promoting in its “Local Government Funding Review” discussion paper, the Green Party said today.

The restructuring of the Department of Conservation (DOC) following National’s severe funding cuts has been revealed as failure, the Green Party said today.

Conservation Minister Nick Smith ignored scientific and technical advice when he pushed through law changes to allow logging on West Coast conservation land, the Green Party said today.