Signed by Awhi Ngā Mātua, IHC,  Disabled Persons Assembly NZ Inc, Parent to Parent, Disability Connect, Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, NZEI Te Riu Roa, Parents of Vision Impaired PVINZ, iFUNZ, NATINA Neuroscience And Trauma Informed Network Aotearoa, ASD Dads NZ, VIPS Equity in Education, Flying Kites, Empower Learning Project, Inclusive Performance Academy, Fragile X New Zealand, NZ Disability Advisory Trust Inc, United Community Action Network (UCAN),  Te Aka Tauira - Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association, Auckland Action Against Poverty, United Community Action Network, Project Gender, ActionStation, The Angelman Network, Fairer Future Collaboration,  Aotearoa Liberation League, Little Shadow, Te Kura o Hāpuku, System Change Aotearoa, NZ Disability Advisory Trust Inc., Supporting Diversity, Whakaata Tohu Tohu | Mirror Services, Justice and Peace Commission Catholic Diocese of Auckland, Standards and Monitoring Services, Chrome Collective Charitable Trust, Willow Corner, Kahu Hurihia Durie Family Trust, Barbarian Productions Ltd., Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition,Lead Aware NZ, Northern Monthly Meeting, the Auckland and Northland branch of  the Religious Society of Friends in Aotearoa/ New Zealand (Quakers) Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri.

Kāwhia Harbour is a treasured natural environment that supports diverse marine life and provides important recreational opportunities for our community. Current vehicle access is causing ongoing damage to the harbour's ecosystem and poses serious safety risks to harbour users.    Vehicle traffic in sensitive areas is resulting in:  - Damage to shellfish beds and marine habitats and disruption to our endangered wildlife including tuturiwhatu/ NZ dotterel   - Erosion of harbour margins  - Safety concerns for families and children using the beach  - Disruption to natural coastal processes    The proposed Ocean Beach access way would provide a sustainable alternative that balances community access needs with environmental protection.    By signing this petition, you support the Kāwhia community's vision for a protected and sustainably managed Kāwhia Harbour for future generations. Endorsed by: Te Taiao o Kāwhia Moana & Onepū Charitable Trust 

This petition does not argue “for” or “against” genetic modification, mRNA medicine or the Gene Technology Bill itself. Our concern is that everyone—farmers, families, scientists, and everyday citizens—deserves adequate time to assess how this Bill could: • Reshape our agriculture industry and threaten the 100% Pure reputation upon which our exports rely. • Allow more glyphosate in “Round-up ready” GM crops, negatively impacting our waterways, honey bees, and animal products. • Introduce “emergency” genetic therapies without thorough public scrutiny, raising questions about medical autonomy and national sovereignty. IF THIS BILL IS TRULY BENEFICIAL • It will still be beneficial after 90 days of additional fair public debate. • Rushing it through in just eight weeks disrespects our largest export sector and compromises democratic transparency. BY SIGNING THIS PETITION, YOU CALL ON THE GOVERNMENT TO: 1. Grant an immediate extension of the Gene Technology Bill’s deadline for at least 90 days. 2. Provide clear information so all New Zealanders can fully grasp the Bill’s ramifications. 3. Honour fair and transparent governance by giving us the time to engage, ask hard questions, make informed submissions and consult our peers. No matter where you stand on genetic modification, we all deserve the right to weigh the evidence and protect our environment, our economy, and our medical freedoms. Extend the Say—90 days is not too much to ask. YOU CAN CALL OR FORWARD THIS LETTER TO YOUR MP Your MP will want to know your position, no matter which party they serve.  Call your MP’s office or copy and paste this petition and email it. You can your MP’s email address in the first link below. ADDITONAL INFORMATION & REFERENCES https://www.beehive.govt.nz/ministers https://bills.parliament.nz/v/6/22059628-b0cc-4931-5e07-08dd18a12bfb?Tab=history https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2024/0110/7.0/LMS1009752.html

***NOTE: This petition was delivered in April 2025. If you sign after that date, we will keep you updated about the campaign, but we won't deliver your name to Parliament. You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram. Together, let's work for affordable public transport!*** We believe Aotearoa New Zealand should be a place where everyone can afford public transport. We are concerned that the Government is trying to increase the ‘private share funding targets’ for public transport which will require public transport authorities to significantly increase fares - often against their wishes - to meet those targets. This could add pressure for people, especially those most affected by transport poverty.  In Wellington the private share targets could lead to fare increases of over 70%[1]. Other councils have warned of similar and worse fare hikes, such as fares going from $2 to $8 in Christchurch[2].   We believe the Government should instead increase funding for public transport to reduce emissions and improve equity. We have a vision of free public transport for those who need it most. This would reduce emissions from a major sector (transport), reduce one aspect of the cost of living for those who spend the largest percentages of their weekly income on transport, and improve social connection in our communities. Central government funding for public transport ensures these free fares can be provided across the motu. It supports local authorities to provide public transport for their communities. Increased public transport fares have already greatly impacted low-income families, and cost of living is already increasing for the most vulnerable people, and further price increases would put even more pressure on them.  This petition has been organised by the Aotearoa Collective for Public Transport Equtiy: Free Fares NZ. Free Fares is a coalition of more than 100 organisations, including local councils, LGNZ, anti-poverty groups, student unions, and many churches, unions and other community organisations. They call for central government funding to ensure free fares for students, under 25s, Community Service Card holders and Total Mobility Card holders and their support people. The coalition has so far been successful in securing permanent half-price fares for Community Service Card holders. CLOSES 31 March 2025 Further reading The Fairer Future Coalition with support from the Disabled Persons Assembly. A Thousand Cuts: An Assessment of the Cumulative Impact of Recent Government Decisions on Disabled People and Other Communities. May, 2024. https://www.scribd.com/document/736889393/A-Thousand-Cuts  Relevant documents New Zealand Government, Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2023-2024,June 2024, https://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Government-Policy-Statement-on-land-transport-2024-FINAL.pdf  NZTA, Increasing the private share of public transport operating expenditure Discussion document, 18 November 2024, https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/Walking-Cycling-and-Public-Transport/docs/Increasing-the-private-share-of-public-transport-operating-expenditure-pta-discussion-document-november-2024.pdf [1] Bus and train fares may surge by up to 70% to meet NZTA targets | RNZ News [2] Bus fares could rise to $8 in Canterbury | Star News

To make this vision a reality, we urge the Government to remove the 10-year condition for Parent Resident Visa holders and align their pathway to permanent residency with the 2-year standard used for other residency categories. This change would ensure fairness, reduce unnecessary hardships, and foster stronger family and community connections across Aotearoa. We need your support to make this change happen!  Please sign and share this petition with your friends and family to help us create a fair and inclusive pathway for Parent Resident Visa holders. Together, we can build a more united and compassionate Aotearoa.

McCallum Bros Limited is seeking consent through the Fast Track process to extract 8.45 million cubic metres of marine sand from the Bream Bay seabed over a 35-year period.  This large-scale sand mining operation threatens to disrupt the delicate balance of the coastal environment. Mining marine sand will not only destroy seabed habitats but will also disrupt sediment flows that are essential for maintaining coastal stability, potentially leading to erosion and loss of beaches. The process will release fine sediment plumes that smother marine life and degrade water quality, with effects extending well beyond the immediate mining area. Sand extraction from dynamic systems, such as riverine and active marine ecosystems, leads to significant environmental impacts, including coastal and river erosion, land-use changes, seabed removal: bathymetric change, increased turbidity, far field changes in tides and currents, threats to marine fisheries and biodiversity. The dredge head creates dead zones with sediment plumes caused by suspended silt lowering oxygen levels and smothering the seafloor plants. The plume can drift for miles triggering coastal erosion.  Marine Sands are habitats for microorganisms and cyanobacteria as the basis of marine food webs (Peduzzi 2014), as well as benthic species. Sand dredging in marine environments leads to major impacts on fauna and flora (Desprez et al. 2010), with significant impacts on biodiversity and fisheries. Marine plants act as an important carbon sink, many of which require a sandy subsoil for their reproduction (Sand and Sustainability: 10 strategic recommendations to avert a crisis 2022 – United Nations Environment Programme). Bream Bay is home to a unique and thriving marine ecosystem, providing critical habitats for a wide array of species, including fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Bream Bay is also an essential resource for local industries such as fishing and tourism, as well as a cherished recreational space for residents and visitors. The health of Bream Bay’s ecosystem is vital for ensuring the long-term well-being of the environment, local communities, and industries that rely on it. This is our coast, and it must be protected. The Fast Track process excludes community participation of those that are most directly impacted.  Sustainable alternatives  Engineered sand is the future and a viable replacement for marine mined sand.  Waikato company Kayasand is scaling its production of engineered sand for concrete. Made from crusher dust and recycled materials using a process that conserves natural resources and makes strong concrete with 20% less cement. A sustainable and resilient supply. Proven technology used in over 300 plants worldwide. Kaipara Ltd has invested $17m in its East Auckland quarries to meet increasing demand. It will produce 25% of Auckland’s needs alone by the end of this year. It also has a plant in the Waikato which will be capable of producing construction quality sand for the next 1000 years.  What is at stake? • Marine life and ecosystems: Bream Bay is a critical breeding and feeding ground for marine species, many of which are protected, threatened or endangered. • Economic stability: Marine sand mining poses risks to industries such as fisheries and tourism, which are vital to our region’s economy. • Cultural and community well-being: Bream Bay holds cultural and recreational significance for local iwi, residents, and visitors. • Future sustainability: Renewable energy projects and other sustainable coastal developments could be jeopardised by the disruptive effects of marine sand mining.  What we are asking for: By signing this petition, we urge our local elected members and councils to act decisively to: •  Oppose the Fast Track sand mining application by McCallum Bros Limited; •  Advocate for comprehensive and independent assessments of the proposal’s impacts; and •  Ensure that our voices are heard in any decision-making processes. By uniting our collective voice, we can give our local elected members and councils the mandate to ensure the health and wellbeing of Bream Bay and local communities are protected into the future by submitting strong opposition on our behalf. Together, we can protect Bream Bay’s unique marine environment, preserve its cultural and recreational value, and secure a sustainable future for our communities. This is our coast. Let’s keep it safe for generations to come. For more information https://savebreambaysand.org/ References Sand and Sustainability: 10 Strategic Recommendations to Avert a Crisis | UNEP - UN Environment Programme Kayasand - Sand Manufacturing & Fine Aggregate Separation Products & Services UNEP Marine Sand Watch reveals massive extraction in the world’s oceans  ‘Alarming’ scale of marine sand dredging laid bare by new data platform

Why is this important? In New Zealand we do not have the same access to pharmaceutical medications as the rest of the world. If we were to have open access, we would be in control of our own lives,  and could make choices that could significantly improve health and wellbeing. We have little power over what potentially harmful compounds are put in our food chain and because of this, obesity is on the rise in Aotearoa, and this is linked to Type 2 diabetes as a result. There are around 100,000 people in New Zealand living with undiagnosed diabetes. The people with a diagnosis of prediabetes if left unchecked risk developing Type 2.  Type 2 carries a high risk of comorbidity symptoms, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol), and other comorbidities include renal (kidney) disease, retinopathy (vision impairment), and cardiovascular conditions (heart attack and stroke). People with type 2 diabetes may also experience depression and anxiety.  Ozempic, Wegovy, Trulicity, and Mounjaro can make a real difference in people’s lives. Studies and new research demonstrate the long-term effectiveness of these drugs in controlling blood sugar and weight loss. Over 50 percent of type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented or delayed therefore improving our health and wellbeing. We see the difference it has made in other countries. Please sign the petition so we can help ourselves and our loved ones before they are diagnosed with something irreversible. Further Reading:  [1] People who have type 2 diabetes have an increased amount of sugar in their blood, also called blood glucose. Increased blood sugar happens because your body’s insulin doesn’t work as well as it should. Ozempic, Wegovy, Trulicity, and Mounjaro help to keep your blood sugar levels from getting too high. In your body, these medicines act like a hormone called GLP-1. It stimulates your body to make more insulin after you eat, prevents your liver from releasing stored sugar, and slows the movement of food through your body.  GLP-1 is a hormone produced by the body's intestinal cells that helps regulate blood sugar and food intake. It's produced when the proglucagon gene is processed in the intestinal endocrine L-cells. GLP-1 is produced in the intestines, pancreas, and neurons. When you eat, GLP-1 triggers the pancreas to release insulin, which helps move sugar from your bloodstream into your cells. GLP-1 also slows down digestion and reduces appetite.  GLP-1 receptor agonists that treat Type 2 diabetes are Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, and Dulaglutide which are all medications used to treat Type 2 Diabetes and obesity. They are glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) that help lower blood sugar and body weight. So both semaglutide and tirzepatide work by acting like hormones your body normally makes after you eat. They can make your stomach empty more slowly so that you won’t want to eat again as soon. They also send signals to the brain that tell you you’re full. The main difference is that tirzepatide mimics two hormones while semaglutide mimics one.  https://www.webmd.com/obesity/mounjaro-ozempic-wegovy-zepbound-difference.  And https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Consumers/cmi/t/trulicity.pdf [2] A Press New Zealand article quotes “Peter Shepherd, a molecular medicine professor at Auckland University and expert in diabetes and obesity, saying the long-term impact of Ozempic “could be huge” for New Zealanders” Also Associate Professor Hesham Al-Sallami, at the University of Otago, an expert on diabetes and obesity medication, believes if Ozempic or similar medicines were funded in New Zealand, it would take considerable pressure off the hospital system. [3] “If Ozempic can help patients lose weight, this could reduce the number of people getting type-2 diabetes in the first place,” . “If this drug is made accessible in New Zealand as a weight-loss medication and is funded by Pharmac for that use as well, this could have considerably positive health outcomes for the country, taking pressure off the hospital system by reducing things like heart attacks and strokes.” https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350430990/why-miracle-weight-loss-drug-still-not-available-nz References: Why is this important?  https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/40/3/352/36943/Type-2-Diabetes-and-Comorbid-Symptoms-of https://info.health.nz/conditions-treatments/ https://www.hri.org.nz/health/learn/cardiovascular-disease/diabetes https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ozempic-wegovy-improve-blood-sugar-levels-and-weight-loss-in-type-2-diabetes-study#:~:text=New%20data%20shows%20that%20drugs,long%20way%20in%20recent%20years. What is Type-2 Diabetes:  https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/treating-your-diabetes/insulin/resistance https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/complications.  https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-diabetes/type-2-diabetes

All people should have the right to freedom, safety and self-determination. Whether we live in Nelson or Palestine, feeling at peace and safe in our homes is essential to living happy lives. To know that the gardens and orchards our families have tended over generations will still be here to nourish our children.  We all deserve these rights yet right now families in Palestine live in constant threat of being targeted by the Israeli military, pushed out of their homes and persecuted for being Palestinian. Since 1967 many Palestinian homes, gardens and orchards have been bulldozed or cleared for Israeli settlers.  We seek that the Nelson City Council align their procurement policy with United Nations Resolution 2334, and the obligations placed on member states by that resolution. Israel is currently in breach of many international laws. Israel is illegally occupying Palestinian territory (2, 3). UN resolution 2334 refers to the territory held by Palestine in 1967 and the illegal occupation of that territory by Israel.  As an occupier state, Israel has legal obligations to protect Palestinians who live in their territory. Israel is in breach of these obligations by directly targeting and harming Palestinian civilians.  UN resolution 2334 requests that Israel cease all settlement activities in the occupied territory. In support of this, Clause 5 of the resolution calls upon all states to distinguish between the territory of the state of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967 in all dealings with the region.  The Resolution was put forward by and voted in favour of by the New Zealand government under the leadership of the National Party in 2016 (4). Subsequently, in February 2020 the United Nations published a database of over 100 companies it considered were doing business in the Israeli settlements. On 1 July 2023, the United Nations reviewed the list and removed 15 companies from the list due to them having halted activity in the Israeli settlements.  United Nations Resolution 2334 declared that all member states should not deal with organisations doing business in the illegally occupied Palestinian Territories, this includes Aotearoa/New Zealand.  We call on our local government to align its procurement policy with UN resolution 2334. References: 1. https://www.un.org/webcast/pdfs/SRES2334-2016.pdf 2. https://www.icj-cij.org/node/204176 3. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/07/experts-hail-icj-declaration-illegality-israels-presence-occupied 4. https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/media-and-resources/un-security-council-adopts-historic-resolution-on-israeli-settlements

We believe that Aotearoa is a place where nature and animals are cared for and respected. We have a long history of taking care of our bird life and believe this practice needs to continue.  Sadly over four months ago the Department of Conservation moved Charlie Girl Kākā (also known a New Zealand Forest Parrot) from her home of 24 years to 'boost chick numbers' at their facility in Dunedin.[1] This is despite concerns being raised before the move and immediately after.  Three major welfare concerns for Charlie have been raised by five veterinarians, multiple parrot experts, and many Te Anau residents.[2]  Internal emails reveal Charlie Girl was weaving within the first hour at Dunedin. Weaving is a stereotypical distress behaviour, and Charlie is clearly overwhelmed by the environment at the Dunedin breeding facility. Despite this, no action was taken to support Charlie. Carol, Charlie's first keeper, who cared for her for a decade, was aware of Charlie weaving in July. Still action was taken. We have documented Charlie's increasing physical pain since her relocation to Dunedin, as her arthritic left wing sags more and more with each passing week. Charlie is weaving from the ceiling from distress[3]. And on top of all that she is kept with a frustrated and aggressive male who keeps harassing and attacking her. Charlie Girl was well cared for and loved in her home in Te Anau. She had supportive keepers and volunteers, a Voluntary Physical Therapy Program, and individualised care. DOC says Charlie can go 'anywhere but home' and that Te Anau is not a 'favoured' location for her.[4] Charlie is suffering in Dunedin while DOC refuses to admit a mistake. Internal emails reveal DOC acknowledged concerns for Charlie's welfare before the move. But now that she is struggling in Dunedin, DOC refuses to acknowledge concerns and claim she is fine.  DOC even went on One News and admitted that even though she 'can't really fly well' she is somehow 'robust' enough for 'a bit of fun' when being harassed by the male kākā. None of this is acceptable, and sets a dangerous precedent for the care of our captive manu (birds). We need to speak up for Charlie Girl. She is taonga (treasured) and deserves to be home.  Check out our facebook page for video evidence of our welfare concerns on Charlie Girl. Her community is distraught by what is happening to her in Dunedin and want her home: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15FrwjUxiM/ References [1] https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KeIPut9WGFpYZ-5Z_OcOijTelIVNYS-QQdyrIyl7KU4/edit?usp=sharing  [2]  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10PW2KAcPZ7wFSwumiXf8Q_4gczxIhLa4 [3] https://www.facebook.com/helpcharliekaka/videos/1612541019355029/?fs=e&mibextid=Mk4v2M&rdid=3fLzOg3fngTJT7O3# [4] https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10PW2KAcPZ7wFSwumiXf8Q_4gczxIhLa4

As people with great compassion for the world's wellbeing, humanitarian issues are of deep concern to the people of Aotearoa. Cuba is in the midst of an ongoing humanitarian crisis, and October’s widespread power outages are only adding to the Cuban people’s troubles. For the last six decades, Cuba has been on the receiving end of myriad sanctions by the United States government. This blockade has proved devastating to human life. The people of Cuba need international support to repair the damage wrought by these sanctions, and we can achieve this by providing food and aid. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Hurricane Rafael caused widespread destruction, primarily in the province of Artemisa. OCHA reports: “The impact of Hurricane Rafael has so far left (damage is still quantified), some 25,471 homes with various damages, concentrating its impact in the province of Artemisa with more than 83% of the damage. Severe effects predominate considering the ravages of strong category 3 winds. As a result, some 92,000 victims have been identified. At the same time, around 60,000 people (20,000 families) have been identified with severe problems in accessing electricity; they have had coverage with small photovoltaic systems as an immediate alternative, among others to access water. At the same time, damage to the conventional power grid has affected an additional 305,000 people. [...] With Hurricane Rafael, a total of 144 health institutions were damaged in the three affected provinces of the western region. These include 28 hospitals, 43 polyclinics, 123 family doctor's offices and 51 other types of clinics. In Artemisa, significant damage is reported in two hospitals, the José Ramón Martínez Pediatric Hospital in Guanajay and the Ciro Redondo García General Hospital in the municipality of Artemisa. (UNCT Cuba, OCHA, 25 Nov 2024)” One of President Donald Trump’s final acts, when he was in office last time, was to re-designate Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SSoT), after President Barack Obama had removed them from the list in 2015 as a part of his Cuban thaw. Inclusion on the list subjects a country to restrictions on US foreign aid and financing, but, more importantly, the SSoT list encourages third-party over-compliance with sanctions. “Businesses and financial institutions, including many from outside the United States, often elect to sever all connections to Cuba rather than risk being sanctioned themselves,” The Hill (1/5/24) reported.

The South Taranaki Bight is home to a rich and diverse marine ecosystem supporting a wide range of species and habitats, including dolphins, penguins, and whales. The area is also a popular spot for fishing, with abundant and diverse fish species. The area’s underwater ecosystems include important feeding and breeding grounds for marine life, such as fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.  It is vital that the health of this abundant ecosystem is protected to ensure the long term health of these habitats and the wellbeing of our communities. This is our coast.  Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd (TTRL) is seeking to fast-track a proposal to mine iron sands from the seabed within the South Taranaki Bight. This proposal poses a direct threat to the marine life and habitats that depend on this delicate ecosystem. Seabed mining, which involves extracting minerals from the ocean floor, is an experimental and largely untested process. It presents significant risks to the seabed and surrounding environment, potentially causing far-reaching and irreversible damage to not only the project area, but extending many kilometres along the coast due to the spread of sediment plumes that could smother these ecosystems. TTRL wants to mine offshore in depths of up to 20-42 m deep. They plan to dig up 50 million tonnes or more of the seabed every year for 35 years, dumping 45 million tonnes back onto the ocean floor [1]. The dumping back of the waste is what differentiates seabed mining from sand mining, and it has a much bigger impact on the benthic and marine environment. This type of seabed mining has not been carried out anywhere else in the world. This isn’t TTRL's first attempt to get consent for seabed mining in the area. Over the past decade TTRL has had several unsuccessful attempts, spending millions of dollars on the hearing processes and using up an extraordinary amount of time and hundreds of thousands of dollars from the New Zealand public and existing industries, particularly fisheries, opposing their plans. So far their attempts to gain consent have been unsuccessful for risks to the ecosystems and inadequate information in their applications [2]. Now TTRL is making another attempt to secure consent for seabed mining off the Taranaki Coast through the new Fast Track process.  The application area in 2024 is 66km2, but the company has permits for over ten times this area, for which a fast track consent could create a precedent. By applying to the Fast Track process TTRL are trying to side step the ongoing opposition to their plans. The Fast Track Bill proposes no feedback and submission process from the community, and only allows submissions from invited “relevant” local authorities.  The local community has rallied against this proposal for years, dedicating significant time and resources to protect this precious environment. Local Iwi, along with residents, environmental organisations, boaties, fishers, surfers, and dairy farmers have been continually fighting to oppose this operation [3]. Offshore wind energy development is also threatened by seabed mining, and one developer has already pulled plans for this renewable energy source, due to TTR’s mining bid [4]. Wind farm developers are adamant the 2 projects are not compatible. The full economic and environmental impacts of this proposal have not been adequately assessed or presented. To fully understand the potential consequences of seabed mining, an independent regional cost-benefit analysis is needed. This analysis would provide a comprehensive evaluation of both the short-term and long-term effects on the local economy, environment, and community well-being. Because local councils are potentially the only bodies invited to provide feedback to the Fast Track expert panel or the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), it is crucial that we, as residents directly impacted by this proposal, come together in opposition.  By uniting our collective voice, we can give our local councils the mandate to ensure the health and wellbeing of our unique coast and communities are protected into the future by submitting strong opposition on our behalf. For more information on the social and environmental effects and the known economic costs and benefits please check out our website at: https://www.concernedcommunities.co.nz/ Bfm radio interview here: https://95bfm.com/bcast/get-action-concerned-communites-of-taranaki-and-manawatu-against-seabed-mining-w-whanganui-district  References:  1. https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/campaigns/seabed-mining 2. https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/assets/cases/2021/2021-NZSC-127.pdf 3. https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/19/deep-sea-mining-new-zealand-south-taranaki-bight-ocean-seabed-patea-beach-ntwnfb 4. https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/10/24/offshore-wind-developer-pulls-out-of-nz-amid-seabed-mining-concerns/ 

Aotearoa New Zealand should be a place where young people can experience life and make memories while being safe and protected. Wellington should be a city where our young people can have fun in a safe environment, without the fear of harm.  Sadly, that’s not the case. A recent Salient survey revealed 75% of students have felt unsafe in a Wellington nightclub, and many highlighted concerning safety issues they'd faced travelling to and from the city at night and the lack of safe transport options. [2,3] “I can’t walk on Courtney without feeling like I need to constantly be watching my back” -Rachel (22) Young people and our communities know what the issues are and what solutions will work for us. That's why we want WCC to work with us - especially those that are often the target of harm such as our ethnic communities, queer communities, disabled communities and more.  We are asking them to: • Commit to a project for young people's safety and wellbeing • Centre young people's leadership by co-creating it with us • Provide funding to enable young people's involvement and participation in the process  • Funding pathways for intercultural cohesion through education and community building We truly believe that a wide-scale cross-community project would be a great first step for youth wellbeing and safety. We would start by engaging with communities on things that impact our safety - like transport, de-escalation skills, nightlife culture, safe spaces, accessibility, and cultural attitudes.  In the meantime, there are already some solutions the WCC could action now, such as: • Increase funding for Take10 to include more safe spaces in and around Cuba street - Courtenay place area • Require all liquor licence holders to ensure their staff are trained in de-escalation training • Create teams of trained professionals that can go from venue to venue and make sure that people in need are cared for, including providing drug and alcohol harm reduction information and support • Train up more wardens from affected communities to be present in the inner city areas over the weekend nights, to help increase safety • Free and accessible transport  • Free wi-fi and public accessible charging stations  Why now? Mayor Tory Whanau has asked for a refreshed city safety plan now that the Pōneke Promise is coming to an end.[6] We want to make sure the new plan includes a project focussed on the wellbeing and safety of our young people, and reducing harm in the inner city.  In late 2020, local communities raised concerns about the safety in central Wellington. At the start of 2021 the Wellington Alliance Against Sexual Violence - a coalition of youth-led organisations hosted a rally on Courtney place calling on WCC and its partners to prioritise sexual violence prevention. [3,4] WCC listened and created Pōneke Promise which widened its focus on making ‘central Wellington safe, vibrant and welcoming”[5] Now that a new plan is being made, we need to make sure WCC listens to our communities again and delivers what we as young people need - Safer streets! Join us and together we can create a better future for young people! Acknowledgment We would like to acknowledge Luke Smith. Who we lost too early and who brought us all together to fight for a better future for our young people. Because of Luke Smith we are demanding that the wellbeing and the safety of our young people are put as priority by the Wellington City Council.  This petition we created in consultation with Luke Smith’s family. If you would like to support the family in bringing their son back home to South African for his funeral please click here for their givealittle. Interview with bFM: https://95bfm.com/bcast/get-action-protect-our-youth-make-wellington%E2%80%99s-streets-safe-w-rachel-jaboon-from-vasda  References 1. https://www.salient.org.nz/post/safety-and-harassment-in-wellington-s-clubs 2. https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350352650/unwanted-groping-part-student-culture-city-bars  3. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/there-is-no-excuse-hundreds-turn-out-to-protest-against-sexual-violence-in-wellington/7AEJB5VQY7BJ6VB67MEFU47BVU/ 4. https://wellington.govt.nz/-/media/community-support-and-resources/community-safety/files/sexual-violence-prevention/sexual-violence-prevention-roadmap.pdf 5. https://wellington.govt.nz/community-support-and-resources/safety-in-wellington/the-poneke-promise  6. https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350356298/inner-city-safety-plan-be-updated-after-students-report-feeling-unsafe