The National Party Government has today revealed that the national environmental report topics for this year will, incredibly, exclude New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, the Green Party said today. “The topics, vetted by the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Statistics, are supposed to give New Zealanders a clear picture of the state of our environment, but by omitting greenhouse gas emissions, it conveniently glosses over the problem of New Zealand’s contribution to climate change,” Green Party Co-leader...

The Government’s block offer announcement of an area almost twice the size of New Zealand and including the home of the critically endangered Maui’s dolphin and other protected conservation areas is further evidence of how out of touch they’ve become, the Green Party said today.

The Green Party welcome today’s announcement by Fonterra of a 45 cent per kg milk solids increase in the premium for certified organic milk. “Fonterra’s approach to organics has been inconsistent, cutting premiums in the past for organic farmers in several regions,” said Green Party organics spokesperson Steffan Browning. “During a time of difficult dairy prices, organics is a good direction for farmers to take and Fonterra needs to commit long-term to New Zealand organic production, and assure New Zealand...

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...

In the wake of cyclone Pam, the National Government must respond to calls from our Pacific neighbours to take real action on climate change, the Green Party said today.

The Green Party’s thoughts and condolences are with people of Vanuatu who have been affected by Cyclone Pam, and believes this must serve as a wakeup call for action on climate change.

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...

The removal of protection for urban trees by the Government is threatening a 500-year-old kauri tree, and is just the thin end of the wedge if the Government is to gut the Resource Management Act (RMA) further, the Green Party said today. “When it’s ok for one of our oldest and most treasured trees to be chopped down to maximise profit, and allowed under the latest changes to the RMA, there’s something very wrong here. Environmental protection in our legislation...

The Government needs to beef up the monitoring of a harmful airborne particle in order to protect New Zealanders’ health, the Green Party said today. The call follows today’s release of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s "The State of Air Quality in New Zealand" report. Among recommendations made by Commissioner Dr Jan Wright was a call for the Ministry for the Environment to include monitoring and reporting of the potentially fatal airborne particle PM2.5. Main sources of PM2.5 in...

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...