Guest post by Dave Rhodes Why New Zealand Cannot Ignore the Global Warning on Trifluoroacetic Acid (TFA)** For years, we have raised alarms about chemical contamination in our rivers, lakes and soils. From pesticides in groundwater to nitrates in drinking … Continue reading
by Tony Orman Currently the Department of Conservation (DOC) is increasingly carrying out aerial 1080 poison drops over large areas of public land, particularly on the West Coast. Some persons, knowledgeable of individual areas, may be puzzled by that in … Continue reading
Special Report The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association is concerned about a surprise announcement by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) announcing a governmentinitiative targeting “feral deer and pigs.” The announcement came in the form of an article in the farming media … Continue reading
special report A wildlife researcher and conservationist on the West Coast Laurie Collins is deeply concerned at the numerous aerial 1080 drops currently being carried out by the Department of Conservation from north to south Westland. “DoC is dropping it … Continue reading
Commentary by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ Why New Zealand’s Ageing Wastewater System Is Failing Rivers, Estuaries – and Recreational Fishers New Zealand likes to imagine itself as a clean, green country with world-class water. Yet with every passing year, the … Continue reading
Commentary by Andi Cockroft, Chairman, CORANZ How native species continue to cling to life despite everything we’ve done to their habitats New Zealand has become famous for extinctions — but less well known for its rediscoveries. In the last decade … Continue reading
Guest Post by Dave Rhodes The government’s latest move in the Predator Free 2050 agenda is a big symbolic step: feral cats are to be formally treated as a pest species targeted for eradication by 2050. Ministers have talked about … Continue reading
Guest Post by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ 1. The Government’s Announcement In mid‑2025 the New Zealand Government announced a sweeping shake‑up of local government: elected regional councils are to be abolished. In their place will be newly created Combined Territories … Continue reading
An observation by Andi Cockroft, Chairman, CORANZ Introduction: A Standout Asset Under Pressure New Zealand’s reputation as a world-class destination for freshwater angling is firmly established. From the braided rivers of the South Island to remote alpine lakes, overseas anglers … Continue reading
Chair Andi Cockroft comments here are based on key themes from the Government’s “Our Environment 2025″ reporting and is written for CORANZ members from a recreation-focused perspective. An environment in decline — and why recreationists should care Imagine a dawn … Continue reading
Opinion by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ Exploring the Decline of Insects in Rural New Zealand (and What We Can Do About It) For anyone who drove on rural roads in New Zealand fifty or sixty years ago, the memory is … Continue reading
“Once a Forest Ranger” by Chris Nelson, published by Lonesome Pine Publishing. Price $45. Reviewed by Tony Orman As a boy Chris Nelson loved the outdoors and envisaged himself as a farmer once he left school. However the reality was … Continue reading
A CAUTIONARY LOOK AT NEW ZEALAND’S NEW DEVELOPMENT REGIME Opinion by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ Introduction: A New Era of Acceleration The Government’s Fast-track Approvals Act has been sold to the public as a long-overdue tool to “cut through red … Continue reading
The Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations has strongly opposed the Fast Track Approvals Amendment Bill which the coalition government has closed submissions on. “This Bill should not proceed. It is an affront to the New Zealand public’s environment and public … Continue reading
A historical and future-facing analysis of New Zealand’s alpine parrot by Andi Cockroft, Chairman, CORANZ Foreword Following my thoughts on 1080 published earlier, it occurred to me that the mischievous Kea is almost a litmus test for what is actually … Continue reading
A further comment by Andi Cockroft, chairman, CORANZ For seventy years, New Zealand has run the largest aerial poisoning programme in the world. Helicopters sweep over the backcountry every two to three years, broadcasting 1080 pellets over mountains, valleys, waterways, … Continue reading
This press release by well known outdoorsman Alan Simmons was done in 2018 and is even more appropriate today.“The Dawn Chorus is now pathetic in our wild places” said Alan Simmons who has thousands of registered hunters on his outdoors … Continue reading
An observation by Andi Cockroft. Chairman, CORANZ Part 1 – Where Have All Our Places Gone For generations, New Zealanders have lived with an unspoken understanding: the countryside was open. A knock on the farmhouse door, a wave from the … Continue reading
Elevated from a Comment by Dave Rhodes A comment on the West Coast Regional Council’s deer dilemma The West Coast Regional Council’s hand-wringing over deer populations would be laughable if it weren’t so tragic. Councillors are now scrambling to find … Continue reading
An article on Radio NZ by journalist Lois Williams has reported deep concern by the West Coast Regional Council of a “plague of feral deer.” Controlling the “plague of feral deer” on the West Coast and where the money required … Continue reading
