The Green Party today welcomed a call from leaders of seven key environmental organisations for the major political parties to prioritise protecting the environment

Judith Collins should release a new report, that had been due to come out this week, showing what the Government knew about the vulnerability of the fuel pipeline into Auckland, the Green Party said today. RNZ reported this morning that a Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment report highlighting the fuel pipeline’s vulnerability was due out this week, but has not been published because of the rupture. Collins said she hadn’t seen the draft report. “With the election looming, New...

The Green Party welcomes today’s announcement from Foodstuffs that they will switch to completely cage-free eggs by 2027 in their supermarkets nationwide, and is calling on all supermarkets, to follow suit. “To have one of New Zealand’s biggest grocery distributors commit to going cage-free is fantastic,” said Green Party animal welfare spokesperson Mojo Mathers.   “This is a strong message that time’s up for cruel cages and colony production. “Foodstuffs’ leadership will further increase the financial stability for New Zealand’s...

Selling off Landcorp farms is a backward step for New Zealand farming that risks our land falling into overseas ownership, and worsening water quality, the Green Party said today. The comments come on the back of National’s announcement it will sell Landcorp farms. “As a state-owned enterprise Landcorp is accountable to all New Zealanders, and their farms should stay in the public’s hands” said Green Party environment and primary industries spokesperson Eugenie Sage. “Selling Landcorp farms risks undoing the good...

The National Party has the Greens to thank for what it’s calling a ‘turbo-charged’ policy – putting more money into sustainable farming practices - but it won’t be enough to take the step change we need to clean up our rivers, the Green Party said today. The comments come on the back of an announcement that the Sustainable Farming Fund will get another $20 million a year under a National government, which is just a small part of an initiative...

The Green Party today announced a comprehensive plan to tackle climate change including replacing the Emissions Trading Scheme with a Kiwi Climate Fund. “We’re the first generation that will feel the effects of climate change, and the last that can stop it. We have a responsibility to act, and the Green Party has a plan to do it,” said Green Party leader James Shaw. “The Green Party’s first priority in government will be passing the Zero Carbon Act and to...

Under National, commercial fishers are getting away with killing supposedly protected native wildlife including sea lions, dolphins and fur seals, and our marine mammals need better protection, the Green Party said today. “There is a large disparity between how many marine mammals the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) estimate are being killed by commercial fishers, and how few the industry reports it has caught and killed in its nets,” said Green Party environment spokesperson Eugenie Sage. “New Zealanders should be...

National’s plan to allow developers to bypass the Resource Management Act (RMA) risks another Bexley or Houston, the Green Party said today. “The RMA is not perfect and needs reform. National’s previous ad hoc changes to the RMA have weakened our environmental law and reduced people’s right to have say about development in their communities. Its urban planning proposals are more of the same and another attack on the RMA,” said Green Party environment spokesperson Eugenie Sage. The comments come...

The Green Party today announced that, in government, it will create New Zealand’s largest marine mammal sanctuary, to protect a blue whale feeding ground off the South Taranaki coast from destructive activities, including seabed iron sands mining. Green Party leader James Shaw made the announcement together with Ngāti Ruanui on a beach near Patea, Taranaki, where people formed a human chain to show their opposition to a recently granted seabed mining permit off the coast. “Critically endangered blue whales are...

The Green Party today announced a progressive plan to protect our oceans and the places we love with a ban on plastic bags, refunds on drink containers, a phase-out of plastic packaging, and a commitment to sending zero waste to landfill by 2050. The Green Party’s plan will: Enable “cash for containers” drinking container refund programmes nationwide. Put in place an immediate 20 cent charge on single use plastic bags, with 15 cents going to community groups for environmental clean-ups...