2025-05-15 11:46:10 +1200
To: To the House of Representatives
Stop Legalised Killing of Protected Wildlife
We, the undersigned, call for immediate action to strengthen the Wildlife Act 1953 to prioritise the protection of Aotearoa New Zealand's unique species and remove clauses from the Act which fail to protect native species.
We ask that you review the Wildlife Act 1953 to ensure that the primary purpose of the Act is to explicitly protect indigenous and endemic species and their habitats including:
- Removing the provisions that permit development interests to override the protection of native wildlife.
- Eliminating authorisation powers for killing protected species for development purposes, so that officials or Ministers cannot allow the death of rare, at-risk, declining, threatened, or endangered species..
Why is this important?
Under urgency and with no public consultation, the Government has changed the Wildlife Act 1953, directly threatening at-risk indigenous species. This action undermines a High Court ruling protecting them from development like infrastructure and mining, effectively paving the way for their potential destruction.
These changes prioritise development over the survival of Aotearoa's unique natural heritage, when we should be doing all we can to conserve and enhance it.
Aotearoa's biodiversity is already fragile*.
We cannot afford laws that facilitate the destruction of our precious wildlife.
We must act swiftly to reverse these damaging changes and strengthen the Wildlife Act to truly safeguard our native species, and for future generations.
These changes prioritise development over the survival of Aotearoa's unique natural heritage, when we should be doing all we can to conserve and enhance it.
Aotearoa's biodiversity is already fragile*.
We cannot afford laws that facilitate the destruction of our precious wildlife.
We must act swiftly to reverse these damaging changes and strengthen the Wildlife Act to truly safeguard our native species, and for future generations.
Read more here:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/08/new-zealand-our-environment-2025-report-native-species-face-extinction-threat
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/08/new-zealand-our-environment-2025-report-native-species-face-extinction-threat
*More than 75 percent of indigenous reptile, bird, bat, and freshwater fish species groups are threatened with extinction or are at risk of becoming threatened.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/our-indigenous-species-are-at-risk-of-extinction
Feature image: Archey's frog, Ian Preece
Feature image: Archey's frog, Ian Preece