Biodiversity Credit Won't Fix Damage Done By Luxon Govt
This is a bandaid on a gaping wound which does nothing to address a deepening crisis and runs the risk of being mere greenwashing, says the Green Party spokesperson for Agriculture Steve Abel.
The Green Party says the Government's newly announced Biodiversity Credit scheme is a tiny positive that doesn't undo the biodiversity harm caused by the Luxon Government.
'This is a bandaid on a gaping wound which does nothing to address a deepening crisis and runs the risk of being mere greenwashing,' says the Green Party spokesperson for Agriculture Steve Abel.
'While credit schemes and covenants are an important pathway to protecting vital biodiversity on farmland, these alone are not nearly enough to address the biodiversity crisis in Aotearoa.
'One tiny step in the right direction does not make up for the significant damage this Government is doing to the environment in many ways including through cuts to the Predator Free programme, Department of Conservation funding, significant natural area identification, and Jobs for Nature.
'You cannot pretend to care for biodiversity while openly making policy that destroys it, targeting wetlands as a cash cow through tax deductibility, weakening or removing protections for freshwater, and allowing significant pollution to be permitted in our most vulnerable waterways.
'Furthermore, market and corporate driven biodiversity credits can be little more than a greenwashing tool – and there's proven to be very little demand without regulatory requirements for them.
'Protecting biodiversity is in everyone's interests, especially farmers. Our Green Budget proposed significant investment in supporting landowners to protect and restore their environments, rather than leaving it to the corporate world to pick up the slack in light of extensive government cuts,' says Steve Abel.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
4 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Support grows for return of Southerner
Southern MPs Scott Willis (Green Party), Mark Patterson (NZ First) and Rachel Brooking (Labour) celebrate after a petition to restore the Southerner train service was accepted. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Restoring the long-retired Southerner train service from Invercargill to Christchurch has moved a step closer to becoming a reality. Yesterday, supporters gathered at the Dunedin Railway Station to watch as New Zealand First MP and Regional Development Associate Minister Mark Patterson accepted a petition to restore the Southerner service as a regular public transport service from Invercargill to Christchurch. More than 12,000 people from Invercargill to Christchurch have signed the petition. Dunedin resident and former Hamilton city councillor Dave MacPherson said passenger rail was an issue that transcended political boundaries. "It doesn't matter whether you're progressive or conservative or Green or New Zealand First — there's definitely a place for tourist trains, but there's a lot of locals that also want to use this kind of service. The group, Save Our Trains, was asked by MPs to drum up a petition within about a month. "That was their challenge to us — they said, 'Look, we'll try and help you, but if you give us some sort of proof of the level of support you've got, that makes it easier for us'." That was at the end of May, he said. While the group was originally Dunedin-based, it now had support from Invercargill to Christchurch, and in many of the population centres along the proposed route. "We've got one woman from Oamaru who collected about 1500 signatures ... she did an amazing job. "It's a genuine regional thing, not just for Dunedin." They would like to see prices on the restored Southerner similar to routes in the North Island, about $60 to $70. Mr MacPherson, who was involved in getting the Te Huia line from Auckland to Hamilton running, said he had never had such an easy time collecting signatures. "There's a transport and infrastructure select committee they're planning to put [the petition] in front of, and hopefully that sparks a discussion. "It's not going to happen overnight, but the fact that there is government-supported long-distance passenger trains already under way up in the North Island, but nothing in the South Island, is a powerful reason for this getting done."
Scoop
19 hours ago
- Scoop
Pandemic Perspectives Focus Of COVID-19 Inquiry Public Hearing Next Week
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons Learned will next week hear a range of perspectives on the pandemic as the Inquiry's first public hearing begins. The Inquiry's 'Pandemic Perspectives' public hearing will take place between Monday 7 July and Friday 11 July. This hearing will allow Commissioners to hear from groups, organisations, and individuals from around Aotearoa New Zealand about their experiences of the pandemic and the Government's response to COVID-19. 'The Pandemic Perspectives public hearing will allow us, in the open, to hear a range of experiences as well as suggestions for future pandemic responses. It is important we listen to these voices and ask key questions, so we can develop robust findings and recommendations,' says Grant Illingworth KC, Chair of the Inquiry. Individuals, organisations and experts will talk about the effects of key public health decisions, including social division and isolation, health and education, and business activity. Commissioners are focusing the hearing on three key areas of the Inquiry's terms of reference and that have been key themes raised in public submissions already received by the Inquiry: · Lockdowns in 2021, in particular the extended lockdown in Auckland and Northland from September 2021. · Vaccine approvals and safety. · Introduction and use of vaccine mandates throughout 2021 and 2022. The hearing schedule and list of witnesses is available on the Inquiry's website: A second and final public hearing will take place from 20 August to 27 August in Pōneke Wellington, where Commissioners will hear from key decision makers who led the Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and from senior public servants. 'As Commissioners, our job is to identify lessons from the country's COVID-19 response to ensure that as a nation, we can be better prepared for future pandemics,' says Mr Illingworth. 'Our goal is to provide recommendations – that can be understood by all New Zealanders – to help build a strong response for the future. 'We need a well-organised, resilient, robust defence, and we need to be able to come together as a country to face future pandemics.' Alongside the public hearings, the Inquiry has also held interviews with key decision makers, met with individuals and organisations who experienced the pandemic and the response to it, gathered 31,000 public submissions, and sought extensive written evidence from Government departments and other organisations. 'We are encouraged by and thank the 31,000 of you who shared your experiences through our recent public submissions process. I also thank the huge number of people and organisations we've met in engagements up and down the country. Your experiences and perspectives are vital to our work,' says Mr Illingworth. The 'Pandemic Perspectives' public hearing will be streamed on the Inquiry's website so it can be watched live by the public. Registered media will be able to attend the hearing for reporting purposes. A range of accessible resources will also be available during and after the hearings. Due to physical limitations, the Inquiry cannot accommodate members of the public.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Watch live: Christopher Luxon faces questions at ambulance service visit
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is set to face questions as he speaks to reporters after visiting Hato Hone St John in Auckland. We'll be livestreaming his comments at the top of this page shortly. It comes as the government turns its attention to the next quarter with Luxon citing cost of living pressures as a continuing pressure. There is also pressure from the Telecommunications Forum over the failure of the 111 system for Golden Bay residents yesterday as another storm hit the region. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
