When consent to this marina was granted, our stories were excluded. If we are not heard now, developers benefit directly from the displacement of our people, the displacement of our mātauranga and further colonise our environment in the process. Auckland Council and the Crown have a relationship with us under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. They are in a partnership with Ngāti Pāoa as mana whenua. In fact, when our iwi had our treaty settlement at Wharekawa Marae earlier this year, the Crown explicitly recognised the many historical grievances that Ngāti Paoa have endured which have directly caused the fragmentation of our people. As Uri o Ngāti Paoa, we want this recognition to go beyond words by enabling us the right to be heard now that we have begun to regather and heal. The partnership we are in comes with the responsibility for Tiriti partners to recognise and respond to the dynamic contexts and history of different hapū and iwi in a way that is more than just a minimal box-checking consultation process. It is imperative that developers engage in a robust consultation process that enables wider representation from mana whenua. This way, mātauranga which is directly relevant to the consideration of resource consents can be heard. A Rūnanga cannot speak for all voices of an iwi, for all hapū of that iwi, and for all people who whakapapa to that iwi. Active protection from Tiriti partners requires an inquiry into whether notification and “consultation” has reached those who are affected by a proposal. Through the Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust, this did not occur. Auckland Council have acknowledged that the legal mandated entity for Ngāti Pāoa at the time (the Ngāti Pāoa Trust Board) and the people of Ngāti Pāoa were not consulted, but the Supreme Court determined that nevertheless, this does not need to be reheard by the environment court. We say that this does not come close to fulfilling Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations and the principle of Active Protection. We say that we need to be heard by the environment court in order for an active relationship and partnership that supports tino rangatiratanga to be upheld. ⭑ Background Our bay at Pūtiki is under threat from the construction of a 7.3 hectare marina by developers Kennedy Point Boatharbour Limited. Amongst the plans of this marina are 186 berths sized from 10 to 30 metres, two septic tanks for blackwater and greywater sunk into the seabed and Aotearoa New Zealand's first floating car park. Hundreds of steel piles could be drilled into the seabed of the moana here at Pūtiki Bay to float the concrete structures of the marina. Tikapa Moana is an ancestral taonga for many hapū and iwi, including Ngāti Pāoa. Pūtiki bay is a wāhi taonga, a significant cultural landscape. The bay is the landing site of the ancestral Arawa and Tainui waka. After its great ocean crossing, Te Arawa waka named and journeyed through Tikapa Moana, finally coming into Pūtiki to be relashed. The day of relashing resulted in the awa, wetland, moana and nearby whenua being called ‘Te Rangihoua’ (The Day of Renewal). After exploring Tikapa further, the Arawa journeyed on to Maketu in the Bay of Plenty. Kahumatamomoe, (Son of Tamatekapua, Captain of the Arawa waka) and some of his whānau returned to Rangihoua to settle and named their pā site ‘Te Pūtiki o Kahumatamomoe’ (The Topknot of Kahumatamomoe). The whanga (bay) and moana, they named Pūtiki. More than 65 recognised archeological sites as well as other wāhi tapu surround this bay. Pūtiki Bay is a significant cultural landscape and a visual repository of our taonga, our whakapapa, our history. Tikapa Moana as a whole is already under threat. In every successive Hauraki Gulf Forum ‘State of the Gulf’ report, Tikapa Moana is found to be suffering continual environmental degradation. The State of the Gulf 2017 report states that the marine environment is seriously depleted and contaminated by developments, such as marinas. Any marina here on Waiheke would continue this destruction of our moana. The State of Our Gulf report 2020 found that many things have been lost or degraded from Tikapa Moana, and it has been progressively reshaped by human activities, often irreversibly. We know this marina would desecrate the cultural landscape of Pūtiki in a way which will be hugely damaging, character changing and irrevocable for Tikapa Moana. It will impact the taonga species that call Tikapa Moana and Pūtiki bay their home, amongst which are kororā (little blue penguins), makō (sharks), aihe (dolphins) and parāoa (whales). Our growing mātauranga of Pūtiki and connections with this bay are critical as a representation of our relationship as Ngāti Paoa, as Waiheke Islanders, and as people with nature and with our ocean at large. Now and for future generations, urgently encouraging and nurturing relationships of connection with the taiao (environment) are even more critical because this very moana is on the brink of ecological collapse. The proposed marina does not encourage a relationship of nurturing our natural environment, nor connecting with the mātauranga that carries life, culture and history. Instead, it furthers the monopolisation and privatisation of our cultural landscapes and environment. It is urgent that we actively protect and preserve our moana and restore its mauri which is under threat. Protect Pūtiki. #ProtectPūtiki @protectputiki https://www.facebook.com/protectputiki

We have a crisis. Wellington can be a city built for people – with thriving communities, green spaces, and well designed homes and buildings that improve everyone’s lives. But Wellington’s housing crisis is hurting the people who live here. Decades of inaction mean house prices and rents are out of control, while badly maintained properties rot from underneath us. People are being priced out of the city, spending hours each day commuting while the city sprawls and our emissions rise. This crisis is different for everyone. Migrants, the LGBTQI+ community, and Pacifica & Māori are discriminated against in the rental market. Disabled people have very little choice of accessible homes. Everything is too expensive. We need more homes, but the Council hasn’t listened Last year, the Council asked the public for feedback on its 30-year Spatial Plan to make space for more housing. It didn't go far enough. The housing crisis needs serious long-term solutions like drastically increasing the number of homes. So we told them we needed more townhouses. More apartments. More homes close to where people work, live, and play. We asked them to make it easier to demolish bad quality homes and build new ones by reducing the protections on colonial character houses - these “character” houses are overcrowded, falling apart, and making people sick. They push out the real character: our young people, renters, and creatives who make this city great. The Council didn’t get feedback from everyone in Wellington. They heard a lot from homeowners and people with money who benefit from the status quo. But what about everyone else? 84% of young people (18-24) told the Council they want more housing and demand more ambition. The Council should be listening to the people who are experiencing the housing crisis, not the loud few pulling the ladder up behind them. We are asking the Council to do the right thing. The Spatial Plan should allow Wellington to plan for the future so that new generations of Wellingtonians can share the city we love. But to create that city, we need our Council to act. Now’s our chance. Ngā mihi nui, A City for People, Generation Zero, and Renters United We have come together to achieve a long-term solution to our city’s housing crisis. Contact: [email protected]

We ask Waka Kotahi to hear our dismay that years of promises about a Skypath have come to nothing at all. We ask Waka Kotahi to understand that it would be irresponsible to wait even longer, when we can use the available space to give fast access for climate friendly transport now. We ask Waka Kotahi to give us the chance to walk, cycle, and wheel across the Auckland Harbour Bridge and show what is possible. We ask Waka Kotahi to understand that cross harbour ferry services are swamped at peak hours with bikes and e-scooters, and are not suitable to cope with future demand as micro-mobility continues to grow. We ask Waka Kotahi to look across the city and recognise how many Aucklanders are turning to bikes as the better, healthier, more responsible transport option - and how many more would if they had a safe connection across Te Waitematā. We ask Waka Kotahi to look upon the map of existing and planned cycling routes that will soon connect the region, and consider how critical a link the Harbour Bridge is to unlocking our emission and modeshift targets. We ask Waka Kotahi to recognise that delivering this critical link is a matter of urgency, due to climate catastrophe. It’s time to give Aucklanders more choice for affordable and climate friendly transport. We ask Waka Kotahi to see the shape of the future and open the Bridge for a Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland for everyone.

Public broadcasting has the opportunity to do good in Aotearoa - helping us have informed kōrero about the issues that matter. Even ethical advertising can be positive for the world. Yet every evening, more than 800,000 people turn on the TV to tune into 1 News for an informative take on the day gone. But when the sports section comes up, viewers are bombarded with a dominating Mobil logo, and a message proudly declaring: “1 News Sport, brought to you by Mobil.” Make no mistake; Mobil NZ is synonymous with ExxonMobil - the international giant oil and corporate monolith. ExxonMobil has known about climate change since at least 1982.[1] Back then, their own report predicted CO2 level models that are extremely accurate to the present day. Many of ExxonMobil’s former lead scientists have testified to how Exxon management spread doubt about the dangers of climate change setting a model for other oil companies to follow.[2] One of their early chief scientists, Martin Hoffert, said “Exxon was publicly promoting views that its own scientists knew were wrong, and we knew that because we were the major group working on this.”[3] ExxonMobil knew about climate change from its own top-notch research groups - even taking sea level rise into account while building their resource-sucking, earth-polluting oil rigs - all while spending many tens of millions lying to the public and funding politicians advocating against climate action. that would affect its bottom line. Yet despite all this, TVNZ says it has “no ethical concerns” in regard to its Mobil sponsorship. That is ludicrous - if they don’t have ethical concerns with a corporation knowingly destroying the planet, committing human rights abuses, and funding climate denialism; then who do they have ethical concerns with? TVNZ has the means, and as a state funded media organisation, the responsibility, to end its contract with Mobil - whose continued and willful ignorance of the climate crisis is a slap in the face to our Pacific neighbours, who are seeing their homes and sacred graveyards destroyed by intensifying storms and sea surges - a direct consequence of criminal policy from corporates like ExxonMobil. There’s a precedent for this. In January of last year, Britain's second-biggest newspaper, The Guardian, announced an outright ban on taking money from companies that extract fossil fuels. TVNZ has the opportunity to follow in their footsteps and show Aotearoa that taking money from climate criminals in 2021 is not acceptable. In these times everyone needs to be part of change and protecting Papatūānuku. Generation Zero is calling on TVNZ as a publicly funded media organisation to end its association with fossil fuels and follow an ethical sponsorship policy. Sign on to join our call! Feel free to contact [email protected] for any questions or queries! References 1-http://www.climatefiles.com/exxonmobil/1982-memo-to-exxon-management-about-co2-greenhouse-effect/ 2. https://docs.house.gov/Committee/Calendar/ByEvent.aspx?EventID=110126 https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/10/opinion/exxons-climate-concealment.html?_r=0 3 https://youtu.be/Ms-vVR7o-nM

In 2015, New Zealand joined countries around the world by signing up to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. New Zealand is one of the many countries who made a commitment to implement the SDGs at home, and support the UN in achieving the SDGs in other parts of the world. But we are not doing enough. An independent Commissioner is recommended by Dr Girol Karacaoglu. He calls this an ‘Office of Wellbeing’, similar to the ‘Future Generations Commissioner’ in Wales. This should provide advice on long-term environmental, social and economic objectives with associated targets and monitor progress towards these objectives. The Inter-Parliamentary Union and UNDP have published a report recommending parliaments build an understanding of the SDGs. We should also be “mainstreaming the SDGs within parliamentary mechanisms”. It is promising that the Auditor-General is reviewing NZ’s preparedness to implement the SDGs, but our NZ Parliament could be doing better. In the lead-up to Election 2020, Judith Collins and Jacinda Ardern seemed to agree on something – a four-year parliamentary term. Research New Zealand then found that out of a survey of 1000 people 61% supported moving to a four-year term. If we’re going to encourage long-term planning for future generations under the SDGs, then we need to revisit extending our Parliamentary term. Let’s not forget it until the next election. If you care that: Everyone in New Zealand has enough and nutritious food too eat; Everyone in New Zealand can visit a doctor when the person needs to; Women and girls enjoy the same rights, opportunities, and outcomes as men and boys; Everyone has access to clean drinking water; New Zealanders have decent work which is safe and pays for a living; and Aotearoa's environment stays beautiful, Then you should be caring for the SDGs and signing this petition. The SDGs will help you to talk to your whānau, friends and colleagues about what we can and need to do to make NZ a better place to live for all. Our Parliament and Government can do better on the SDGs and in planning for our future.

Paihia is a jewel of the Bay of Islands, opposite Waitangi and Russell. Far North Holdings (FNH) has been given funding and the green light to build sea walls in Paihia harbour. This massive infrastructure project was approved as a 'fast track' shovel-ready project in the government’s Provincial Growth Fund in response to COVID19. The Paihia Sea Wall plan was a commercially defunct project that had been shelved for 15 years. FNH say the walls will be a way to restore Paihia's sandy beaches. However hapū, iwi, marine scientists and locals know the impacts will be disastrous. At low tide it’s likely the sea walls will be a monstrosity, hideously changing what was once a beautiful and picturesque view. Motu Maire, the main island out from Paihia which will be directly affected by the seawalls is, and has been, wahi tapu, a sacred and important place to local Māori for centuries. Local iwi Ngati Kawa and Ngati Rahiri have not been properly consulted on the decision-making of this project. Stopping the tidal flow with sea walls and dredging up the seafloor is environmental vandalism which could create unforeseen negative consequences, for example, the erosion of Paihia’s south beach, Te Tii beach and the multiple beaches on Motu Maire. Sedimentation within the wall’s confines is also another major concern. Endangered dotterels and other shorebirds nest on the southern beach of Motu Maire. The seawalls will completely alter the natural outlook from Paihia’s bustling commercial center, which is currently an amazing view over the Bay of Islands across to Russell. Business owners believe this project will ‘kill the goose that lays the golden egg’ for Paihia. While the project has had funding confirmed, much has changed in the world in that 15 years, and FNH made that application without any consultation with local māori (hapū) or the wider community to gauge support for the resurrection. It is entirely possible to restore the main beach of Paihia without the sea walls. The funding can be put to much better use - to projects that bring the hearts and minds of locals together in a positive and constructive way - and to solve the real problems the community is facing as a whole. Far North Holdings' sea walls must not go ahead! Add your name to tell the Council and FNH to preserve Paihia. This online petition is being run alongside an offline petition led by folk from Ngati Kawa and Ngati Rahiri.

Our concerns aren't isolated but sit amongst a greater context of unease. Other communities in Christchurch are confronted with the same problems and concerns as ourselves, e.g. We are affiliated with groups around the country who advocate for community focused housing including; https://www.commonground.net.nz/?r_done=1 Our shared vision is thriving communities of connected people in healthy ecosystems within a vibrant local economy. Many people who hold this neighbourhood dear to their hearts are community builders who work at creating more connections between people. What we propose is the possibility of being intentional with the design of 74 Domain Terrace. It is possible to design a housing development that creates a diverse community attractive to people from a range of ages with a variety of skills and strengths. This has the possibility of becoming an “intentional community’ where members/residents communicate with and care for each other. Such a community would be inclusive of all and everyone’s needs. The elderly need not feel isolated, and young families could experience support around them for raising children in a whanau friendly environment. Imagine creating a village to wrap around our children and the most vulnerable. Our environmental concerns are just as important to developing a flourishing community as our concerns for people. Care for the land on which we live is integral to our goals. Hence our plea for the trees and the ecological communities that they sustain. Dr Colin Merck, locally renowned ecological scientist, has conducted urban biodiversity studies in this area. https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-meurk-1284329/?originalSubdomain=nz The trees make a significant contribution to an unusually diverse range of bird life. Local residents, some seasonal, include little owls, kingfishers, bellbirds, fantails, grey warblers, paradise ducks, greenfinches, chaffinches, magpies, spur winged plovers as well as a large population of blackbirds and more common varieties like the sparrow, thrush and starling. Not forgetting the much-loved Avon hybrid ducks. The topsoil of 74 Domain Terrace is precious. The property was originally a chicken farm. The soil has never been turned or sprayed. It has supported a range of animals for many decades. Most recently horses, sheep, free range chickens and rabbits. As such it is extremely fertile and likely to be supporting populations of the foot long native worm and leaf veined slugs as does the adjoining property at 80 Domain Terrace. To leave this taonga solely in the hands of developers is to sign a death warrant for so much. Within 24 hours of the auction an arborist entered the property, without the permission of the residents, to establish a quote for the removal of the trees. The loss of the trees will have a huge impact on the local environment and community. Without these particular trees, in which they currently roost, the little owls are unlikely to relocate and will inevitably die. IT is these trees that resulted in Domain Terrace being nominated as one of the ten most beautiful autumn streets in the city. Destruction of the trees on this prominent bend would destroy the whole ambience of the street and the balance of vegetation between The Domain and privately owned land. As with all similar developments the topsoil will be excavated and stripped depriving the property of an entire ecosystem. Most importantly what will die is POSSIBILITY. The possibility of developing housing solutions in partnership with diverse stakeholders that meet the social, ecological, cultural, and economic needs of the people living there. Our desire is to have the housing company discuss their plans with the community and collaborate on what type of development best contributes to creating a sense of connection and wellbeing within the community. If the housing company can’t see sufficient profit from plans that meet the community’s needs a collective of residents is willing to buy the property back at cost price and become the principal actors of the change they want to see happening democratically in their neighbourhood. Sign our petition to have our voices heard by the Christchurch City Council. Help stop the development that threatens our neighbourhood character and values. Help bring forth a true community focused sustainable housing alternative from the competitive housing crisis which builds up the inequalities that ravage our country. PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION! https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/community-focused-housing-on-domain-tce Watch this space! It is our intention to oppose similar disconnected housing developments in the area in our quest for a more workable, holistic living environment for all our residents.

A regenerative economy is more than a ‘prosperous, low-emissions economy’. It means creating abundance and healthy environments and workplaces by using traditional knowledge, current sustainable practices and new innovations for responsible resource use, production and distribution. It regenerates rather than degenerates. Our current economy is built on destructive mineral extraction and intensive farming that mines our whenua to make commodity products that are mostly exported overseas. It’s polluting and wasteful at all stages of the process, produces vast amounts of climate changing greenhouse gases, increases the division between rich and poor, and depletes resources for future generations to come. That's why church groups, students, climate activists, social justice groups, anti-mining protectors, union members and individuals across Aotearoa are bringing this message to the 2020 Minerals Forum on October 13-14th: Kua Nui! Enough is enough! We want a regenerative economy not an extractive economy. "Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki is in full support of this action. The world cannot afford high emissions dinosaur industries and can mine landfills and cellphones if it wants minerals. We challenge the Minerals Forum to stop wrecking the planet for profit and we challenge the Government to live up to their promises on climate and mining issues now! " said Catherine Delahunty, Chair of CWH, which has been campaigning against gold mining in Hauraki for decades. "The main sponsor of this conference is Bathurst Resources, which is in the process of applying for consent to vastly increase a coal mine in Canterbury, despite having already breached a number of consents for its current mine. Fonterra and the dairy industry will be burning this coal, while they continue to claim their industry is sustainable, largely ignoring the obvious renewable alternatives. It's time to stop digging up fossil fuels and make the switch," said Tim Jones of Coal Action Network Aotearoa. “The mining industry’s only role in a low-emissions economy should be in cleaning up their mess. We want no more permits or resource consents for extraction and urgent decommissioning of all wells and mines" said Tuhi-Ao Bailey of Climate Justice Taranaki, who have been campaigning against oil and gas drilling and synthetic fertiliser since 2011. "These companies will go to the ends of the earth to dig up minerals, and now they want to dig up the seabed - but so far we have managed to stop them, in coalition with Iwi, fisheries interests and local communities," said Cindy Baxter, chairperson of Kiwis Against Seabed Mining. "Our oceans are already in enough peril from other pressures like acidification and warming - there is nothing sustainable about seabed mining." “We are in a state of planetary emergency: the interdependent crises of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and climate change - driven in large part by unsustainable production and consumption - require urgent and immediate global action,” - 'The Leaders' Pledge for Nature' signed by Heads of State and Government of 64 countries (including PM Jacinda Ardern) and the European Union, 30/9/20. For more information on the event and campaign go to: www.StopTheMineralsForum.info Facebook event 'Stop the Minerals Forum 2020' Facebook page 'Stop The Minerals Forum' Coalition group websites: Environmental Justice Otepoti https://ejotepoti.wordpress.com/ Kiwis Against Seabed Mining http://kasm.org.nz/ Extinction Rebellion Aotearoa https://extinctionrebellion.nz/ Climate Justice Taranaki http://www.climatejusticetaranaki.info/ (Lots of articles here) Coal Action Network Aotearoa https://coalaction.org.nz/ Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki https://watchdog.org.nz/ Oil-free Wellington https://wellington.oilfree.nz/ Oil-free Otago https://oilfreeotago.com/ Some news articles about the mining industry in Aotearoa: Why we’re taking the government to court over mining in the Coromandel - https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/22-06-2020/why-were-taking-the-government-to-court-over-mining-in-the-coromandel/ Gold mining: a toxic legacy - http://resist.co.nz/gold-mining/ Lessons to be learnt from toxic legacy - https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/8621609/Lessons-to-be-learnt-from-toxic-legacy Tour reinforces Taranaki residents' fears over stinking plant - https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/300097635/tour-reinforces-taranaki-residents-fears-over-stinking-plant Locals brace for row over Pukemiro tip - https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/editors-picks/9282617/Locals-brace-for-row-over-Pukemiro-tip Rural Waikato residents furious at ongoing plastic waste fire - https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/09/rural-waikato-residents-furious-at-ongoing-plastic-waste-fire.html Onus on Government to remove toxic coal mine waste at Hector – conservationists - https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/114806519/onus-on-government-to-remove-toxic-coal-mine-waste-at-hector--conservationists

In 2017, in the Speech from the Throne, the Labour/NZ First/Green Government made a commitment to having no new mines on conservation land. The Government has, however, failed to implement this policy, and as a result numerous permits for mining related activity (prospecting, exploration and mining) have been granted across the nation’s conservation estate. This is unacceptable. This campaign is so important, and so urgent that the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand are now supporting this petition also (from May 2021). Conservation land is highly valued by New Zealanders, and is held by the Government for conservation purposes. It makes up approximately 1/3 of New Zealand's total land area and is simply too precious to mine. There are classes of conservation land including National Parks, public conservation land and marine reserves and other protected lands and waters; public conservation land includes forest parks, scenic reserves, ecological reserves and stewardship land. Stewardship land has been cited as one of the main reasons that the no new mines policy has not been implemented. Some are of the belief that stewardship land is 'low value' and should be excluded from the policy, when in fact, stewardship land includes a range of land, a significant portion of which has very high conservation values; stewardship land contains approximately 28% of biodiversity priority sites. The Hauraki Coromandel region alone has more than 300,000 hectares of stewardship land, including the Hukarahi Conservation Area, the site of the first closure due to kauri dieback on the Peninsula, the Whangapoua Forest Conservation Area, some 5000ha of mature native forest and the Otama Wetland, a part of the nationally significant Otama Dune system. To groundtruth all stewardship land in Aotearoa will take many years, and our conservation land must not be left vulnerable to mining until that happens. The simple fact is that the Government indicating their intent to ban new mines being established on conservation land has resulted in the industry not only rushing to get permits to prospect, explore and mine in areas they want to target, but also lobbying to exclude stewardship land. This can not be a blanket in or out decision - there is too much at stake. Changes proposed in any review of stewardship land must include giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi via negotiations with manawhenua of that rohe. A moratorium would ensure that the question of stewardship land can be considered carefully to ensure that any policy is robust in protecting all conservation land, while not sacrificing some of our most significant areas to mining while the policy is finalised. Support from: https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/themes/custom/forestandbird/images/logo-forest-and-bird-og-image.jpg

This would be disastrous for the youth of today, and for all future generations. Increasing extreme events and sea level rise have the potential to wreck our civilisation and bring misery and hardship to billions of people globally. It is time for climate change to be at the heart of every decision the New Zealand government, now and in the future, makes. The generations of today, and those not yet born demand this of you. For communities in the Pacific this means sea level rise, it means damage to food and water supplies, and for some island communities it may mean losing the islands they have lived on for generations. Here in New Zealand, many of the same issues will threaten our livelihoods and lifestyles around the country. We know the technologies are at hand – renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, hydrogen fuels and many others, but we just need to get on and deploy these as fast as we can. We urge that all New Zealand governments act urgently on climate change, as we must start future-proofing our country economy and mindsets to climate change as we can do this. The Climate Change Commission in its April 2020 letter to government has indicated the way of achieving this - through clean energy and energy efficiency; improved transport systems including public transport; sustainable land use and robust transport, energy and water infrastructure. Through the response to COVID-19, we have seen the power of people to act as a collective. It is time to see to climate action and climate justice, this really is our moment across all generations. We are out of time – we have had the Pandemic – and it is time for action by all.

Our Recommendations We are calling on you, our leaders and representatives, to put the climate crisis at the forefront of this election. We urge you to make strong, effective policies to fight climate change. a) Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi by actively seeking and listening to the Māori and Pasifika leadership when making green policies. This inevitably requires constitutional transformation and recognition of tino rangatiratanga. b) Re-build from COVID-19 with environmental bottom lines and climate change at the forefront c) A just transition into a forward-looking low carbon economy. d) Listen to and work with climate scientists who have been warning us for decades. e) Take action now We ask what policies you and your party plan to enact which address these recommendations? Please let us know at [email protected]

The protection of the Queen Elizabeth Park area is so important to the Wellington region for environmental, recreational, social and climate change reasons. Now we have the opportunity to increase the area of the protected environment and restore the wetlands. The Wellington region has less than 3 percent of its original wetlands left. Drained and farmed peat emits huge amounts of carbon dioxide whereas rewetted peat will become a carbon sink so this action is consistent with GWRC declaring a climate change emergency. It also reduces the need for chemical weed control as woody weeds such as gorse and blackberry cannot survive in wet earth. Natural spaces in urban environments offer huge benefits to community well-being not to mention native flora and fauna. By expanding the protected area we could set a precedent for the rest of the country to show what is possible. It could also become a significant education tool. We've had some wins to protect what still exists, but we can do more! Add your name today and be part of this joint submission to show the public support to protect this special area. See our previous petition at https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/save-the-raumati-wetlands-in-queen-elizabeth-park-and-create-kapiti-s-biggest-carbon-sink Greater Wellington Parks Network Plan: http://www.gw.govt.nz/parks-network-plan