Environment & Resource Management Archive

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  DOC grants access to open cast mine Denniston - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The Minister of Conservation has allowed Australian owned Bathurst Resources Ltd access to conservation land on the Denniston Plateau to build open cast coal mine. This beautiful landscape with many rare species will be ripped open for coal if the Bathurst also obtain resource consents. The Environment Court final decision on this is due next [...] read more
  May 24, 2013 12:32 pm - 5 Comments
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  March Against Monsanto - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  I will be hosting the Christchurch March Against Monsanto this Saturday, joined by genetics scientist Professor Jack Heinemann and author Christine Dann. There are events all over the country, all over the world in fact. Find your closest below and join us in this exciting global event to claim back control of our food system. [...] read more
  May 24, 2013 11:17 am - No Comments
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  Water and Biodiversity - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  Yesterday was the UN International Day for Biological Diversity. The theme for this year was Water and Biodiversity. In New Zealand our native freshwater species are extremely vulnerable. Our longfin eels are on a pathway to extinction yet are still being caught commercially. Other freshwater species have no or little protection compared to our terrestrial [...] read more
  May 23, 2013 2:59 pm - 1 Comment
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  A weekend of action against deep sea oil - by frog

  
  
  
  This weekend saw New Zealanders out on our coastlines around the country with a clear message: no deep sea oil drilling in our waters – our environment is too precious to risk. Green MPs Catherine Delahunty and Steffan Browning joined Hands Across the Sand events in Coromandel and Christchurch. Kaikoura might have put on the [...] read more
  May 22, 2013 5:11 pm - 3 Comments
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  Countering the arguments against palm oil labelling - by Mojo Mathers

  
  
  
  Last weekend I spoke to a group of committed young people attending a workshop on palm oil hosted by the organisers of the Unmask Palm Oil campaign in Orana Wildlife Park. As highlighted in my previous blog post, palm oil has major environmental and social impacts. This heart wrenching photo of an orang-utan clinging to [...] read more
  May 22, 2013 12:24 pm - 8 Comments
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  Hands across the sand opposing risky deep sea oil - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  With the Government’s announcement a couple of weeks ago that they are opening up 190,000 more square kilometres to oil drilling, there’s never been so much at stake in the movement to protect our waters, coasts and climate from deep sea oil. And Aotearoa is responding. Opposition to this risky extreme form of oil extraction [...] read more
  May 15, 2013 4:30 pm - 66 Comments
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  Protection Orders - by Jan Logie

  
  
  
  Protection Orders are in the media again, after another woman was killed by her ex-partner in breach of a protection order. Protection orders were created by the Domestic Violence Act and are one of the key tools in responding to Domestic Violence. They are issued by the Family Court. The police have also recently been [...] read more
  May 15, 2013 4:03 pm - 1 Comment
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  David vs. Monsanto - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Monsanto’s busy lawyers Last Monday the US Supreme Court found in favour of Monsanto over yet another small farmer. Indiana soybean farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman bought some seeds from a grain company, where other farmers drop off their seed. He only wanted to sow cheap seed so bought what he called ‘junk grain’. It was [...] read more
  May 15, 2013 3:59 pm - 8 Comments
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  Power Struggles – by John Small - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  Pasted below is an article by John Small from Covec that was published in the Dom Post a couple of days ago. In it he argues that NZ Power should reduce prices and significantly improve retail competition, and new generation will still be fundable. He further states that there are some important details that need [...] read more
  May 15, 2013 10:52 am - 38 Comments
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  A big week for students - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  This week marks graduation at Auckland and Victoria Universities, where thousands of students, along with their families, will get the chance to celebrate all they’ve achieved. This week is also Budget week, which has historically brought some pretty bad news for students. Last year’s Budget gifts from the Government included: removing access to student allowances [...] read more
  May 14, 2013 10:32 am - 3 Comments
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  Black milestone in climate change reached - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  A black milestone in climate change history was reached over the weekend. Concentrations of carbon dioxide, the key ingredient in global warming, hit 400 parts per million of the air in our atmosphere, up from 280 ppm in the mid-18th century when the Industrial Revolution kicked in.  Internationally, we are rushing headlong towards disaster – [...] read more
  May 13, 2013 2:25 pm - 138 Comments
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  A motorway to save “dying” Wellington? - by Julie Anne Genter

  
  
  
  Recently, to shrug off blame for the Wellington region’s contraction in employment per capita, the government has taken to blaming the city council’s opposition to roading. As I have mentioned before, National has big plans to spend billions (perhaps as much as $5 billion, if we include the $2.4 billion interest on the private loan [...] read more
  May 12, 2013 11:55 pm - 72 Comments
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  Precious kauri need committed action - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Kauri dieback disease (Phytopthorataxon Agathis or PTA) needs a solution but this Government isn’t providing it. The relentless killer of our iconic kauri is not waiting and the group tasked with tackling PTA, is lacking a $5 million government commitment to achieve a breakthrough. The famous giant kauri, Tāne Mahuta, and the kauri forests deserve [...] read more
  May 10, 2013 4:34 pm - 2 Comments
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  Tui Mine – Healing the Maunga - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The Tui Mine was abandoned in the 1970s on the side of Mt Te Aroha. It was a small copper and gold mine which left an ugly legacy. The mine’s toxic waste dump was unstable and cracking and the water downstream of the underground mine workings were poisoned by the heavy metals leaching from the [...] read more
  May 9, 2013 4:00 pm - 1 Comment
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  Pre-pay for recycling: it’s the way forward - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  Today the Government is crowing about their TV Takeback scheme. While I am grateful that TVs are being diverted from landfill, this solution is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.  The programme collected 23,000 televisions in the Hawke’s Bay and the West Coast, which cost the taxpayer over half a million dollars. This [...] read more
  May 8, 2013 6:01 pm - 10 Comments
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  “What Does It Take” … to extract climate change action from this Government? - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Yesterday the World Met. Organization released its annual ‘Statement on the Status of the Global Climate’. The report, which investigates the major climate & weather events of the past year, found 2012 to be the 27th consecutive year with above average global temperatures. Global average temperature in 2012 was 0.45⁰C warmer than the 1961-90 long-term [...] read more
  May 6, 2013 4:57 pm - 130 Comments
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  GE not our farming future - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The Government’s National Science Challenges include an arrogant intention to spend taxpayers’ money on swaying community opposition towards support for genetic engineering. While the jargon loaded Challenge documents are a struggle to read, the message by pro-GE scientists in the primary production section is clear. For the primary production challenge, first on the list under [...] read more
  May 2, 2013 4:36 pm - 54 Comments
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  We need to address bee health - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The European Commission has just announced exciting plans to restrict the use of bee harming pesticides across Europe. We need to get the health of bees on the agenda of our Government so that we can protect these vital little insects. I wrote to the Chair of the Primary Production Select Committee yesterday to get [...] read more
  May 2, 2013 3:58 pm - 9 Comments
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  Sports missing from Race Relations Commissioner criteria - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Just checked the Human Rights Act 1993 to see if being a celebrity sportsperson is a criterion for the Race Relations Commissioner, and you know what? It isn’t. The criteria in fact are high falutin requirements that the minister making the appointment needs to consider. They include that the person: a)    Has an understanding of [...] read more
  April 30, 2013 1:45 pm - 94 Comments
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  Hawke’s Bay irrigation saga gets murkier - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  The inherent problems with one arm of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) promoting the mega Ruataniwha dam and irrigation scheme while another arm attempts to act like a regional council, came to the fore in a tangled council meeting last week. I attended a presentation by newly established Transparent Hawke’s Bay at the start [...] read more
  April 28, 2013 11:53 am - 1 Comment
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  Waste fund flowing offshore - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  On Wednesday, the government announced it will use the Waste Minimisation Fund to finance a programme to deal with a type of hazardous waste from material that was banned from use in New Zealand nearly 10 years ago. While we absolutely agree with cleaning up hazardous waste we do have some concerns about who does [...] read more
  April 26, 2013 2:36 pm - 14 Comments
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  Toxic agenda bad for farmers - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  I recently had an opinion piece published in the Straight Furrow newspaper. Here is what I wrote. (note: corrected from earlier post) Toxic agenda erodes green brand Our clean green brand is something we need to fiercely protect, but this Government is effectively eroding it instead. National has gutted the Emissions Trading Scheme and is [...] read more
  April 26, 2013 2:23 pm - 2 Comments
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  Al Morrison’s replacement - by frog

  
  
  
  You might have spotted that DOC Director General Al Morrison is moving on. After overseeing job cuts and setting DOC on the track to commercialisation, he is moving on to fill the newly created role Deputy Commissioner Corporate Centre at the State Services Commission. There he will be overseeing the Government’s Better Private Public Services, [...] read more
  April 24, 2013 4:22 pm - 5 Comments
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  Open letter to McDonald’s - by Mojo Mathers

  
  
  
  Last week McDonalds United Kingdom announced they are going to source 100 percent of their pork products from Freedom Food’s producers certified by the RSPCA, so I sent this letter to the Managing Director of McDonald’s New Zealand today. We are looking forward to McDonald’s New Zealand making similar commitment here and will keep you [...] read more
  April 23, 2013 9:58 am - 13 Comments
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  Pacific Parliamentary Forum - by Jan Logie

  
  
  
  Parliament has been blessed with the presence of political leaders from all around the Pacific for the last few days. We had some great debates and discussions. I just want to gloat about one – the motion to liberalise trade was voted down in favour of an amended motion in support of sustainable development. The [...] read more
  April 22, 2013 12:23 pm - 2 Comments
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  Farrar wrong on renewables - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  As you might have caught we have (alongside Labour) announced a plan to cut excessive profits from the Electricity Sector and return the money to households. David Farrar over on Kiwiblog yesterday posted about the total cost of Electricity Production claiming that renewable options – which we prefer are more expensive than coal and gas. [...] read more
  April 18, 2013 4:35 pm - 154 Comments
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  Akaroa Harbour marine reserve welcome news - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  Gareth has previously posted about the Dan Rogers marine reserve in Akaroa Harbour.  Living on Banks Peninsula and having helped promote the reserve I wanted to share my thoughts and thank and congratulate the reserve applicants, Kathleen and Brian Reid and the Akaroa Harbour Marine Protection Society who When the Government is opening up conservation [...] read more
  April 18, 2013 4:28 pm - 1 Comment
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  Before we fix water quality we need to stop allowing more pollution - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  The Prime Minister bragged about how much money his Government is spending on water clean-ups today, but he failed to admit that the money required for clean-up of our rivers and lakes will increase because of his policies. Nearly every study on water quality shows that land use intensification leads to water pollution. Yet the [...] read more
  April 17, 2013 4:13 pm - 4 Comments
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  Nail in the coffin of state housing in Sandringham - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  Last month I blogged about the sale of Housing New Zealand land in Haverstock Road, Sandringham, where – instead of redeveloping its land into a groundbreaking mixed housing development – Housing New Zealand was flogging off a huge parcel of land to the highest bidder. I visited the site on 25 March, and this is [...] read more
  April 17, 2013 1:53 pm - 3 Comments
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  Low flows on the Rangitaiki River - by Eugenie Sage

  
  
  
  Even before the summer’s drought began in earnest, the Rangitaiki River in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, has been victim to low flows, thanks to the TrustPower operated Matahina Dam upstream of Te Teko. On my February trip on the river our safety boat had only been in the water five minutes when it grounded [...] read more
  April 16, 2013 11:46 am - 2 Comments
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  Akaroa marine reserve - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  The Dan Rogers marine reserve in Akaroa Harbour has recently been approved by Conservation Minister Nick Smith which is a good step for marine conservation but raises many wider issues and questions. It’s good to see another marine reserve created, even if it was shrunk by Smith, because it’s only the second on the east [...] read more
  April 16, 2013 10:39 am - 3 Comments
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  Fonterra’s organic flip flop - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Fonterra has just announced that it is renewing organic milk supply contracts in Manawatu, Taranaki, and Wairarapa for two years and three years for Waikato and Bay of Plenty farmers, but dropping Northland contracts as they come up for renewal. Manawatu, Taranaki and Wairarapa farmers had been told in 2011 that their contracts were not [...] read more
  April 16, 2013 10:13 am - 11 Comments
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  Schedule 4 open for drilling! - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Many of the Frogblog readers would have supported the fantastic campaign in 2010 to love and protect the Schedule 4 areas of our beautiful country from mining. You will not be impressed by the news that the Government which promised to protect Schedule 4 is now eroding the promise. You will not be impressed by [...] read more
  April 12, 2013 3:22 pm - 105 Comments
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  NZ border threats – now in 3D - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  I nearly choked on my muesli this morning listening to Maurice Williamson on Morning Report on the emerging border threat facing our country….3D printers! read more
  April 12, 2013 11:42 am - 58 Comments
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  How safe is your information? - by Jan Logie

  
  
  
   Today I attended the Financial review of the Privacy Commission. It was a disturbing meeting.  The Privacy Commission is the only public organisation in this country with a focus and expertise on privacy rights.  Privacy is essential for trust in our government and economic systems. If people do not trust a website which cannot protect the [...] read more
  April 11, 2013 4:46 pm - 33 Comments
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  A bad week for women and children - by Jan Logie

  
  
  
  It is pretty shocking our environment and democracy and that is the topic of this blog post. The National Government passed the Child Support Amendment Bill and the Social Security (benefit categories and work focus) Amendment Bill  into law this week. Both of these bills will reduce women’s economic and social independence and this will have very [...] read more
  April 11, 2013 4:34 pm - 2 Comments
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  Anadarko amendment proves need for human rights scrutiny - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  In a little victory, last night we managed to avoid the third and final reading of the Crown Minerals Bill, containing the terrible and possibly unlawful ‘Anardarko Amendment’ from passing today. read more
  April 11, 2013 2:27 pm - 3 Comments
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  Running hot and cold- energy tip for the week - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  There are heaps of opportunities to save money and energy and I am going to start posting tips to make it easier to be energy efficient. This week I’m looking at hot water. read more
  April 11, 2013 11:50 am - 5 Comments
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  Brickbats and bouquets for Foodstuffs - by Denise Roche

  
  
  
  Earlier this week it was announced that several companies that employ a lot of young workers will not be taking advantage of the Government’s Minimum Wage (Starting out wage) Amendment Act to pay their staff youth rates. Fast food chain McDonalds joined other retail and fast food companies Bunnings, Farmers, K Mart. Starbucks, KFC and [...] read more
  April 11, 2013 10:22 am - 1 Comment
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  Update on the Paid Parental Leave submissions - by Jan Logie

  
  
  
  Today the select committee heard another 12 submissions on Sue Moroney’s members bill to extend paid parental leave to 26 weeks. I am yet to hear a submission against the Bill or hear anything approaching a valid argument from the National party members against it either. Today we heard more evidence on: • the many [...] read more
  April 10, 2013 5:08 pm - 11 Comments