News
'We're going to work on the current arrangements': Tama Potaka on Govt backdown on Conservation Amendment Bill
3+ hour, 32+ min ago (76+ words) Newstalk ZB Follow the podcast on The Conservation Minister's opting to work with law already formed - on disposal and exchange of conservation land. After pushback from the opposition and environmentalists, Tama Potaka's scrapped a clause in a proposed law change,…...
Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Did the Government botch their conservation announcement?
1+ hour, 59+ min ago (448+ words) National probably has the right intention with underused conservation land but they completely botched the communication of the plan and its implications. There's a little bit of green in every New Zealander - and I could not agree with that more....
Andrew Dickens: Reality lost in conservation bill rhetoric
15+ hour, 30+ min ago (292+ words) The hubbub yesterday over the Conservation Amendment Bill brought to light three issues for me. Firstly, how bad much of our law is, and that stems back to how it's written and processed. Secondly, that many concerned organisations are not…...
"It's disgraceful": Forest and Bird responds to government selling conservation land
6+ day, 4+ hour ago (131+ words) Newstalk ZB Follow the podcast on Forest and Bird says the government is effectively putting 60% of the country's conservation land up for sale. The bill, currently making it's way through parliament, would allow the conservation minister more powers to 'exchange…...
National promises to double funding for conservation trust working with farmers, landowners
2+ week, 2+ day ago (84+ words) National's promising to protect the country's heritage and biodiversity on private land and farms. " It's pledging to double baseline funding for the QEII National Trust to $8. 5 million dollars. " It'll boost investment in things like fencing, surveying, and legal work." National's…...
The best natural pest control for your garden: local birds
3+ week, 5+ day ago (440+ words) Last week I got rather excited with my bird feeding exercise in the garden " silvereyes everywhere, bellbirds becoming part of the ornithological gig, starlings in good flocks, hedge-sparrows in hedges. " As the winter is getting near, the birds will come…...
Budget 2026: $79m boost for tourism and farming by stopping the spread of wilding pines
1+ mon, 1+ day ago (513+ words) The Government is spending an extra $79 million over three years to cull wilding pines around Queenstown, the Mackenzie Basin, the North Island's Central Plateau, and New Zealand's largest farm in South Marlborough. "Wilding pines threaten productive farmland, water supplies in…...
Ruud Kleinpaste: The dos and don'ts of feeding your local birds
1+ mon, 2+ day ago (442+ words) Always lovely to see a lot of our "locals" hanging up all sorts of feeders for our local birds " it's the thing you do from autumn onwards. To be honest, it's a thing to watch from the window " it also…...
Govt seeks to axe 'green and red tape', generate more revenue with conservation reform
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (94+ words) The Conservation Minister says there's huge opportunity for conservation land to generate the country more money." A bill's been lodged, promising major reforms aimed at speeding up the DOC sign-off process for concessions on conservation land." It would also see…...
'It feels like they're moving in': Rare k'k' sightings in central Auckland show birdlife rebounding
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (643+ words) Increased sightings of the k'k' in central Auckland suburbs are being hailed as an encouraging sign for conservationists and could suggest decades of work is paying off." Local conservation group Urban Ark-Manawa Taiao said late last year, and again this…...