CORANZ Members Should Engage Now Post by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ Two major pieces of legislation - the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill - are before Parliament and are intended to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA). Both … Continue reading
A Governance Problem, Not a Turbidity Debate Post by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ Recent reporting on the Kakahu River has been framed around murky water (eg: see here or here), irrigation pressure, and competing interests. Those elements matter, but they … Continue reading
The announcement of a new national deer control initiative has been presented as a long-overdue step toward addressing the environmental and economic impacts of feral deer. It brings together government agencies and sector organisations, signals coordination, and promises better outcomes. … Continue reading
The Port Hills form the southern edge of Christchurch, running from Godley Head in the east through to Gebbies Pass in the west. They rise directly from the city and overlook Lyttelton Harbour, creating a long, accessible ridgeline rather than … Continue reading
You may not have heard stone skimming described as an activity, but most New Zealanders have done it at some point - usually without thinking of it as anything more than a moment by the water. Stone skimming is the … Continue reading
A new government move to consider bans on rock pool harvesting in parts of Auckland has sparked fresh debate about how environmental concerns intersect with everyday life, community behaviour, and democratic decision-making. The issue centres on Whangaparāoa’s Army Bay, where … Continue reading
And Why Balance Matters Post by Guest A recent regional council statement highlighting the impact of cats on native wildlife has reignited a familiar pattern in New Zealand environmental debate. The figures are confronting. The concern for biodiversity is real. … Continue reading
Guest post by Stephen Hodgson Much of modern political debate is conducted one issue at a time. Freshwater policy here. Climate targets there. Access, conservation, cost of living, housing, wages - each argued in isolation, often with moral certainty and … Continue reading
How Language Quietly Rewrites Public Power Post by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ Language shapes reality long before legislation does. The words used by government agencies, ministers, councils, and media do more than describe policy – they condition the public to … Continue reading
What PFAS Means for Land, Water, and Recreation Recent international coverage has drawn attention to the issue of persistent contaminants entering land and food systems, often framed in stark and unsettling terms. Attention grabbing headlines such as “cancer-causing toxins discovered … Continue reading
Sheltered-water paddling is the use of kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards in calm, protected water such as harbours, estuaries, lakes, lagoons, slow rivers, and sheltered bays. The focus is on steady movement and exploration, not speed, surf, or endurance. In New … Continue reading
Sketching outdoors is the practice of drawing places, objects, people, or scenes on location, using simple materials such as pencil, pen, or watercolour. In New Zealand it is commonly done in parks, reserves, along waterfronts, in towns, and at familiar … Continue reading
The recent decision by Shane Jones not to proceed with changes allowing the commercial retention and sale of marlin caught as bycatch has been widely welcomed across the recreational fishing community. After strong public opposition and a high level of … Continue reading
Why the Fish & Game Reform Bill Matters Opinion by Andi Cockroft, CORANZ Chair The Government’s proposed reform of Fish & Game New Zealand has been framed as administrative tidy-up - a way to improve consistency, reduce conflict, and ensure … Continue reading
Kerikeri’s Swimming Spots and the Wider Issue of Recreational Access Guest Post by Dave Rhodes Public waterways, river swimming holes, and local natural features have long been a core part of New Zealand’s outdoor culture. For generations, people have cooled … Continue reading
Prompted by this article from RNZ, John Davey writes Ngawi and the Fragility of Getting There The road to Ngawi has always been vulnerable. Anyone familiar with the coast beyond Lake Ferry knows this. The sea presses close, storms cut … Continue reading
What Murky Water Means for Recreation Guest Post by Dave Rhodes New research reported by RNZ has given a name to something many coastal users have noticed for years: “darkwaves” - periods when sediment and suspended material reduce light reaching … Continue reading
How Hydro Operations Shape River Temperature, Pollution, and Public Use Post by CORANZ Member Hydroelectricity is often described as clean, renewable, and benign. In carbon terms, that is largely true. But carbon is not the only measure that matters - … Continue reading
Rethinking a Deeply Embedded Assumption Opinion by Andi Cockroft. Chair, CORANZ In New Zealand environmental debates, one comparison is often made so casually that it has hardened into something like fact: that introduced deer simply replaced the browsing role once … Continue reading
Many New Zealanders associate glow-worms with caves, guided tours, and well-known attractions. Yet for most people who encounter them unexpectedly, glow-worms are found somewhere far less dramatic: beside a track, above a stream, or on a damp bank in the … Continue reading
