United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he is hopeful rather than desperate over global climate change because “governments always follow public opinion … sooner or later.”
All posts by admin
A delicate balance – New Zealand Geographic
Demands are mounting on the Mackenzie’s river systems. South of Twizel, tussock vanishes and rugby-pitch green takes over, an incongruous contrast with the tawny mountains in the distance. A proposal to irrigate another 4800 hectares of the Pukaki outwash plain is currently the subject of an appeal in the High Court.
EDS looks forward to RM System review now underway – EDS media release
The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) is pleased that the Government has announced membership of its Resource Management Review Panel. The Review was announced by Hon David Parker in June this year and is to develop a modern, fit-for-purpose resource management system.
Government to get tough on farming and councils by regulating for water – Colette Devlin, Stuff
Environment Minister David Parker: “Many of the places we swam as kids are not safe to swim any more. That’s not good enough.”
Water quality policy bound to please no one – Marc Daalder, Newsroom
Everyone, from local government to farmers to environmental groups, has a view on how to fix the country’s deteriorating freshwater quality.
New ECan council must find other ways to gain community input – Sir Kerry Burke, the Press
The current Auditor-General’s recent ruling removing the exemption is long overdue but very welcome. It can also be seen, together with the election of a new ECan council in October, as a first step towards the restoration of sound, principled, accountable regional governance. The zone committees were a mistake.
Freshwater Decline – the need for precaution and polluter pays in agriculture – Guy Salmon, August 2019
In New Zealand, legal property rights in
land do not include rights to erode the
soil, to drain wetlands, to take fresh
water for irrigation, nor to pollute water
bodies. The fact that these things are
happening … is because they have
been allowed to happen by the regional
councils …
Conservation Board acting chairman ponders Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park extension – Mathew Littlewood, Timaru Herald
As visitor numbers explode in the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, the acting chairman of the Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Board is querying whether the national park should be extended.
Read more:
Pragmatism sweeps into Mackenzie debate – David Williams, Newsroom
Turqouise lakes and tawny tussocks draw more than a million tourists to the South Island’s Mackenzie Basin each year. But many believe irrigation-fuelled intensive farming – on former Crown-owned leases, often, within easy view of the highway – is ruining landscapes and sending mixed messages to turn tourists off.
Why NZ shold say no to silver bullets – Peter Fraser & Dr Mike Joy, Newsroom
New Zealand has too many cows for a pasture-based system. Having intensified and overstocked areas suitable for dairying (Taranaki, Waikato), farmers have relentlessly expanded into completely unsuitable areas (Canterbury, the Mackenzie Country, Southland)
Read more: