No dolphin should be drowned in a net. Yet since Christopher Luxon has been Prime Minister, at least 15 Hector's dolphins have been killed by the fishing industry.  They include a mother and calf pair, juvenile dolphins and adults, with almost all of them around Canterbury.  Māui and Hector's used to be the most abundant dolphins around NZ's coastal waters. Now they are among the world's rarest.  PM Luxon must protect Hector's from the fishing industry.  Be a Dolphin Defender and help stop extinction.  

Affordable public transport means everyone can stay connected and have easy access to their places of work, study, and community. Access to public transport is especially critical for younger people.  Yet, some people in New Zealand view ownership of vehicles as a sign of economic progress and success which fuels the "cars is how we move around mindset". Because of this view, the Government is putting massive amounts of funding into road projects.  At the same time, the Government has made large cuts in funding for the Community Connect programme. Community Connect was a targeted package aimed at making public transport more affordable. From 1 July 2023, Community Connect provided: • half-price fares for people aged 24 and under • free fares for children aged 12 and under. It will take a lot of time for people to get out of the ‘cars first’ mindset and make different behaviour decisions.  Cheaper public transport is a big stepping stone into achieving the ‘collective transport first’ goal.   Increased use of public transport can lead to a decrease in reliance on private vehicles, reducing traffic congestion, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to New Zealand’s climate change mitigation goals.  As young people are more aware, open to, and statistically more likely to use public transport for access to education and jobs, we need to offer a hand to this shift in behaviour.  We are Fare Fighters, a campaign group of school students. Please sign our petition if you also want to make getting around easy and accessible for all young people!  If you would like to have more information, we encourage you to explore this article - Public transport subsidies are ending. Here's how much ...RNZhttps://www.rnz.co.nz › news › national › public-transport...

The Manukau Harbour is a taonga of Auckland, a vital ecological and cultural asset with huge potential for eco-tourism and recreational use.   Yet the Manukau has long been abused as a dumping ground for Auckland’s waste, from landfill reclamations to industrial waste discharges. Currently and inappropriately, our Council uses the Manukau for the discharge of Auckland’s treated wastewater effluent. The shallow and predominantly closed nature of the harbour inhibits the natural flushing of contaminants, resulting in prolonged exposure to pollutants. It is time for this practice to cease, and the mana of the Manukau Harbour be restored.   For a start we want Auckland Council to acknowledge the significant harm caused to the Manukau Harbour and its tributaries by the discharge of treated and partially treated wastewater. The Māngere Treatment Plant is the largest freshwater tributary to the Manukau Harbour. Its discharges, and other treatment plant discharges, are severely damaging to this predominantly closed salt water environment. Soon this damage will increase due to higher volumes of treated effluent expected once the Central Interceptor (CI), comes online.     Our petition is urging the Government to change the legislation to direct Auckland Council and Watercare to take the necessary steps to ensure Manukau Harbour is free of waste water discharges.  Even when treated, wastewater pollution endangers marine life and encourages invasive weeds to smother the sea bed. This pollution leads to eutrophication and habitat degradation, causing significant harm to marine life and ecosystem health.  Discharges have resulted in our beaches being closed due to levels of E-coli and other bacteria reaching unhealthy levels for humans to swim in. Contaminated water in the Manukau Harbour presents serious risks to public health. The value of this harbour is diminished due to the negative perceptions caused by continued wastewater pollution. Consents to discharge wastewater into the Manukau have in the past been set with long durations and automatically renewed. We believe it’s time that existing and future discharge consents be limited and alternative solutions need to be put in place so that future discharges to the Manukau Harbour and its tributaries cease to be needed.   Action on this is needed now by way of legislative change that enforces the desired outcomes on Auckland Council and its Council Controlled Organisation Watercare, or any other such organisation in the future.    By updating the legislation the Government can direct and support Auckland Council and Watercare to: 1. plan for future methods of discharge management so that discharge consents into the Manukau Harbour and its tributaries cease to be needed once current consents lapse.  2. restrict renewed discharge consents from permitting discharges into the Manukau Harbour and its tributaries after a period of 10 years from the date this condition is ratified (allowing Auckland Council and Watercare adequate time to devise and implement alternative solutions).  3. disallow granting of new discharge consents into the Manukau Harbour and its tributaries (excluding renewal consents as conditioned under 1.b).  4. disallow redirection of discharges to other consented outflows into the Manukau Harbour and its tributaries.  5. identify and remove all indirect sewage discharge points into the Manukau Harbour and its tributaries, such as those by weir diversion from combined rain and sewer pipes, within 15 years from the date this condition is ratified.    Auckland Council and Watercare need to list options for replacement of discharges into the Manukau Harbour, along with conditions associated with these options (including full public consultation before adoption). Suggested options include:  1. A direct pipeline to discharge into the Tasman Sea at a distance from the foreshore that prevents discharged water from returning to the beaches along the West Coast, and of a quality of discharge that meets defined standards for discharges into the sea (to be defined).   2. Irrigation of farmland (must apply only to land that is away from watercourses that enter the Manukau Harbour and its tributaries).  3. Reticulation through industrial grey water uses and back for retreatment, such as to be used for industrial processes at Glenbrook Steel Mill.  4. Piped to reservoirs such as the Waitakere or Hunua Reservoirs for reprocessing into Auckland’s water supply.  5. Purified to a standard acceptable for drinking water and reused as part of Auckland’s water supply  6. Processed through a man made wetland development in line with the City of Arcata, Arcata Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, with appropriate management and monitoring plans in place.  7. Other options that need to be approved.  Let’s work towards a future where it is safe for families to swim in the Manukau harbour. Please sign our petition and protect the Manukau Harbour for future generations!  Support for this petition This petition is raised on behalf of the following organisation and undersigned signatories • The Manukau Harbour Restoration Society (MHRS) • Weymouth Residents and Ratepayers Association • Stop Polluting the Manukau Harbour Incorporated (SPTMH) • The Onehunga Enhancement Society (TOES) • Aotea Sea Scout Group • Clarks Beach and Waiau Pa Residents Association • Te Ākitai Waiohua Waka Taua Incorporated The intent of the petition is also supported by Te Kawerau ā Maki, iwi of the northern Manukau.

Everyone has a right to know that the water coming out of their kitchen tap is safe to drink. We should all be able to take a dip in our local river without getting sick.  But across Aotearoa, the health of lakes, rivers, and drinking water is worsening – and one of the worst contaminants is nitrate, coming from the intensive dairy industry.  Now Christopher Luxon’s government plans to get rid of the only freshwater protections in New Zealand. They want to see more cows living in mud, polluting rivers with more sediment and cow effluent.  And they’re removing Te Mana o Te Wai – a policy that puts the health of freshwater ecosystems first, the health of people second, and commercial use of water last. They are giving commercial interests free reign to pollute with no regard for the health of nature or people.  This will put rural communities across the country, as well as entire cities like Christchurch, at risk of unsafe levels of nitrate contamination in their drinking water. And it will lead to more unswimmable lakes and rivers.  New Zealanders may have voted for a change of Government, but they did not vote for unsafe drinking water. They didn’t vote for lakes and rivers to be treated like open sewers. For the sake of all New Zealanders, Luxon must keep his hands off the freshwater protections. Release: Government repeal of Te Mana o Te Wai condemning rural communities to unsafe drinking water, Greenpeace

Te Waikoropupū Springs have some of the clearest water ever measured on earth. Last year the Springs received a Water Conservation Order (WCO) from the Environment Court. The WCO gives a special cloak of protection that which councils must abide by when considering resource consents.    Yet if the Fast Track Approvals Bill were to pass into law the way it is written, the Government would be able to bypass the protections the WCO gives Te Waikoropupū Springs.    We have also become aware that Siren Gold Mining has been invited to fast track an application to mine in the Golden Bay area under Sam’s Creek.     Sam’s Creek Mine is essentially an arsenic mine. Up to eleven million tonnes of arsenic-laden rock will be mined. The processing of the rock will most likely happen at a plant to be developed on farmland in the Upper Takaka Valley. Arsenic-laden rock will be pounded to a fine powder and passed into a slime heap containing cyanide and other chemicals. The ore's high arsenic content would leave over 75,000 tonnes of highly toxic substance in the slime heap once the gold is removed.    If the slime heap were to leak into the aquifer, as is likely to happen over time, it would mean the stygofauna in the aquifer would die and the crystal-clear waters be lost forever.    The Save Our Springs Campaign was formed to protect Te Waikoropupu Springs. Thousands of people have worked over many years to protect the precious taonga that is Te Waikoropupū Springs. We are still planning to deliver our 17,000 strong petition to Save Te Waikoropupū Springs from the threat of synthetic nitrogen.    We must draw a line and speak up before the Fast Track Bill becomes law. Unless there are changes all 16 Water Conservation Orders around the country will be threatened.    Sign our urgent petition to save te Waikoropupū from the fast tracked gold mine! Help us stop the Fast-Track being the death trap for Te Waikoropupū.     Links:  Fast track: What’s the story? Greenpeace, March 2024 Waikoropupū Springs water conservation order, Ministry for the Environment  Maps: Te Waikoropupū Springs  

All life deserves to thrive. Yet the Luxon Government has declared the biggest assault on nature, democracy and Te Tiriti in decades with their Fast-Track Bill. If passed unopposed, the new law will allow the destruction of lands, rivers and seas through more mining, dams, roads, drilling and ocean pillaging. It will also deny local communities a say about those projects and severely restrict input from iwi, hapū and experts. Call on Prime Minister Luxon to stop the Fast-Track Approvals Bill!

'Project Kea' is a Waste-to-Energy project that would incinerate large volumes of waste. If constructed the plant would truck in 365,000 tonnes of waste annually to burn and generate modest amounts of electricity. Waste-to-Energy plants release dangerous chemicals and emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. 'Project Kea' would produce the equivalent CO2 emissions to an extra 100,000 cars on the road each year. Toxins that come out the incinerator include dioxins, heavy metals and particulates which all pose a serious risk to human health. 🔥 Waste-to-Energy plants use vast amounts of resources to operate. 'Project Kea' would use 2.5 million litres of fresh water each day, 365 days a year, and burn in excess of 100,000 litres of diesel each year. Waste-to-Energy also still needs landfill space, as it requires the landfilling of large amounts of toxic ash. Beyond that, the plant will build in the need to find and supply more waste to feed the beast. Constant demand incentivises the creation of more waste and discourages zero-waste efforts. This moves us away from a more circular economy, acting within the limits of the natural environment. Waste-to-Energy is an outdated waste disposal method that countries in Europe are moving away from. The Waimate plant would be the first ever built in Aotearoa, but could pave the way for more. South Island Resource Recovery Limited's (SIRRL) proposal to build 'Project Kea' will be decided in the Environment Court. 💚 This petition is a demonstration of our local support for our elected representatives to oppose 'Project Kea. If you also oppose false solutions such as Waste-to-Energy, and want a more circular economy, please sign! Find out more about the problems with waste-to-energy: https://zerowaste.co.nz/waste-to-energy-incineration/

Pakake, the New Zealand sea lion is the world’s rarest sea lion and an endangered species. There are only 10,000 and live around the remote subantarctic Auckland Islands. Acting on advice from the Ministry for Primary Industries, and against Department of Conservation advice, the new Minister for Fishing Shane Jones has removed a ‘mortality limit’ for sea lion deaths. This is the maximum number of deaths caused by commercial fishing. The number was set to protect the population, as more deaths would threaten the survival of the species. This is outrageous - pakake are at risk of going extinct, and we should be finding as many ways as possible to protect them. The number of sea lion pups dropped by almost a third last year. They could be affected by heating ocean temperatures, and commercial fishing depleting their food sources. The southern squid trawl fishery operates around the Auckland Islands and overlaps with the sea lion foraging grounds. Fishing vessels kill sea lions by accident as ‘bycatch’. The mortality limit was set at 52 deaths and was a red line for the fishery - if it went over the limit the fishery would be closed. This protected, endangered species needs protection, but the Minister of Oceans & Fisheries has decided to listen only to the voices of the commercial fishing industry! Sign our petition to reinstate the death limit, and support the call for more protection! *** https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350240291/death-limit-endangered-new-zealand-sea-lions-scrapped https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/38189-Squid-6T-Operational-Plan-2019-2023

We all deserve a world free of plastic pollution. Plastic pollution created by the oil industry and big corporations like Coca-Cola is now found in the deepest oceans and on the highest mountains. It’s harming wildlife like turtles and seabirds, and affecting human health. At the United Nations Environmental Assembly 5.2 in March 2022, governments officially adopted a mandate opening negotiations for a global, legally-binding plastics treaty to address the whole lifecycle of plastics. The negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty start in November 2022, with the goal of completing the process by the end of 2024. The future treaty has a huge potential to put the world on a path towards a plastic-free future but it will be up to us to make sure that it delivers on its promises. We demand an ambitious global plastics treaty that will limit plastic production and use. A strong plastics treaty that keeps oil and gas in the ground, holds big polluters accountable for their excessive plastic production and builds refill and reuse systems. A just plastics treaty will ensure transparency and a fair and equitable transition for affected workers, will protect the climate and deliver a clean, safe planet for us and for our children. We have a responsibility to look after it. Let's end the age of plastic! Add your name to the petition now.

The oil industry is not welcome in Aotearoa. We will resist new oil and gas exploration.

The Waitawheta is a beautiful river starting in bush, and close to Auckland and other main centres. It’s one of the cleanest rivers on the North Island which provides the water town supply for Paeroa. The proposed new quarry area has Significant Natural Area (SNA) status. As an SNA it is an area of significant indigenous vegetation and significant habitats of indigenous fauna. We are very concerned there will be serious risk to water quality and environmental damage if the quarry goes ahead. There are at least four rare and threatened species that live in the area including the Long tailed bat, Hochstetter’s frog, Te Aroha stag beetle, and Striped skink. The area is home to numerous native birds including Kaka and New Zealand Falcon, Karearea. The Waitawheta River has a macroinvertebrate community index (MCI) of 134. This means it is one of the cleanest rivers in New Zealand and a reason it also makes it a recognised fishery for Rainbow and German Brown trout. The new quarry is likely to affect water quality in the river from run off in extreme weather events, which are becoming more common. This would add sediment silt and debris coming from the quarry into the river. Blasting can also affect water flows. Blasting and crushing can cause emission of noxious gases, air pollution and ground vibration. These can cause health problems in local communities and damage to houses and structures in the surrounding communities. This project has far reaching effects on the local environment and the wider community. At the least everyone should be made aware of this project and be allowed to make submissions to both the Hauraki District Council and the Waikato Regional Council. With the current state of rivers in New Zealand maintaining the highest quality of water in this river should be a top priority. We are local residents in the Waitawheta valley area who are very concerned about the proposed new quarry. If you also care about protecting rivers and our natural ecosystems in Waikato please sign the petition! https://www.valleyprofile.co.nz/2023/11/21/neighbours-say-quarry-proposal-brings-fight-to-our-side/

Upokohue/ Hector's dolphins are one of the rarest marine dolphins in the world. Their greatest concentrations are found on the west and east coasts of the South Island and have the conservation status of ‘nationally vulnerable’. Hector's dolphins are threatened by many human activities. No dolphins should die as a result of fishing related practices. Yet fishing impacts have been devastating for the species. Dolphins continue to be killed in trawl nets. The rules around bycatch - and fishing near shore, are too weak. The fishing boat Austro Carina grounded recently off Banks Peninsula and is leaking oil, threatening wildlife (Oct 2023). It was legally fishing within endangered Hector's habitat, less than 2m from shore, which shows it's not just direct fishing risks that threaten Hector's habitat, but indirect fishing activities too. A small population of Hector’s lives in Lyttelton Harbour and is already threatened by industrial activities, noise and massive cruise ships. The competitive boat race SailGP also occurs in the dolphin habitat, and tourism also impacts on the dolphins. 🐬 Environment Canterbury can fix this, and it must. We call on ECan to protect Hector's from fishing related impacts through the Council's Regional Plan.