The Green Party has welcomed news that New Plymouth District Council will implement a ‘locked gate’ policy which prevents farmers from grazing cows on oil industry dump sites until the soil has been tested and declared safe. “After years of the National Government claiming that there were no issues with cows grazing on pasture spread with oil and gas waste, it’s great to see New Plymouth District Council stepping up and taking leadership to protect New Zealanders and our clean,...

Yesterday’s extreme weather, which caused chaos with Wellington’s transport network, will become more commonplace as climate change worsens, and shows the need for urgent Government leadership to prepare for climate change, the Green Party said today. “Scientists warn we will see heavier rainfall and more intense storms and droughts because of climate change, and the Government has a responsibility to assist communities to prepare and adapt,” Green Party Wellington issues spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “The Government needs to show leadership...

The Environment Court’s decision to allow regional councils to have a say in the use of genetically modified organisms gives communities an extra level of protection from GE crops entering their regions, the Green Party said today. The Court decided yesterday in favour of Northland Regional Council that councils are able to make provisions for the control of GMOs through their regional policy statements and plans. “Communities such as Hawke’s Bay and Northland are recognising the benefits of remaining GE-free...

Concerns over water quality at the Rio de Janeiro’s Olympics Games next year should prompt concerns here in New Zealand, where rowers at Lake Karapiro are exposed to water that’s becoming increasingly polluted. A TV3 report last night claimed rowers and Olympic officials were worried about athletes getting sick from poor water quality at venues in Rio. “If athletes are concerned about the effects to their health from water in Rio, they should question the state of our waterways here....

A report into dairying shows how the environment is being milked by the industry for all it’s worth - and that’s before taking the use of herbicides and pesticides into account, the Green Party said today. The report released by Massey University this week shows that dairy intensification over the last 20 years has seen waterways become heavily polluted, greenhouse gas emissions increase, and biodiversity loss, among other negative impacts, and argues that the cost of cleaning up the environment...

  The Green Party has launched a campaign to create a plastic-bag free New Zealand and is calling on the Government to legislate to phase plastic bags out.

The Government’s greenhouse gas inventory, released today, shows that in the last recorded year of 2013, twice the area of land was deforested as opposed to planted with new trees. 

The Green Party is calling for a total ban on recreational set nets in the Banks Peninsula Marine Mammal Sanctuary to stop more Hector’s dolphins from being caught in them and drowning. Scientists have today confirmed the death of a Hector’s dolphin found in Akaroa Harbour was caused by a set net. Current legislation allows set nets to be used in some inner bays of Akaroa Harbour from 1 April to 30 September to catch flat-fish. Set nets create a...

The sighting of a Maui’s dolphin in an area the Government has just opened up to oil and gas exploration shows how willing Energy Minister Simon Bridges is to sacrifice the environment for oil, the Green Party said today. The Maui's Sanctuary was created to help protect Maui’s dolphins, but it overlaps with areas the Government has offered up for exploration this week. A Maui’s dolphin, one of only 55 adult individuals remaining, was spotted in one of these areas....

The National Government looks set to miss the first UN deadline to submit its emissions reduction target for 2030, the Green Party said today. Mexico, Norway, Switzerland and the European Union’s 28 member states have delivered their ‘intended nationally determined contributions’ (INDCs) to the United Nations (UN) ahead of a March 31 deadline. Switzerland has set a target to reduce 1990 emission levels by 50 percent by 2030. The US is committed to meeting the deadline, and China and the...