Category Archives: Home

Every election cycle brings bold commitments. Transformational housing programmes.Infrastructure revolutions.Environmental resets.Tax reform.Constitutional change.Regional revival. But how often do major promises translate into measurable delivery? Before accepting new fast-tracked infrastructure, sweeping regulatory reform, or urgent structural change, it is worth examining … Continue reading →

Lake Onslow may well be the most important infrastructure proposal of this generation. A pumped hydro scheme capable of delivering up to 1000 megawatts of dispatchable power and 4 terawatt hours of storage is not trivial. In dry years it … Continue reading →

There is a legislated vision for the Waikato River: water that is safe to swim in and safe to take food from. That is not a slogan. It is embedded in Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato, the … Continue reading →

New Zealand is a long way from most global conflicts. But we are not insulated from global supply chains. The current instability in the Middle East has again exposed how dependent we are on imported fuel. New Zealand no longer … Continue reading →

Election years sharpen everything. Promises become louder. Statistics become selective. Headlines become sharper. Every party claims evidence is on its side. This is not new. It is the rhythm of politics. But it raises a serious question: how confident can … Continue reading →

The Government’s decision to withdraw the proposal allowing commercial operators to land and sell undersized fish is a welcome correction. It is also only a partial victory. Public pressure worked. Recreational fishers, advocacy groups, and ordinary New Zealanders made their … Continue reading →

MEDIA RELEASE Wednesday, 25 March Fisheries Bill Still Not Dead Pressure is growing on the government to drop a controversial Bill that has riled the public into action over the past week. Fishing and environmental advocacy groups have been rallying … Continue reading →

Rakiura is not a large place. It is small, remote, and socially close-knit. When something shifts in the mood of that community, it is noticeable. Environment Southland has reported “emerging tensions” on Stewart Island following recent pest control operations. Staff … Continue reading →

The announcement of a $784,000 taxpayer contribution toward restoring 44 hectares of wetland on the Rakaia is being presented as a turning point. It is not. It is an admission. For seventy years, Glenariffe Stream - once responsible for roughly … Continue reading →

Guest post by Dave Rhodes The Government’s proposal to scrap minimum legal size limits for commercial fishing operators is not reform. It is a breach of public trust. For generations, New Zealanders have understood a simple principle: small fish go … Continue reading →

Queenstown Lakes District Council now says discharging treated wastewater into the Kawarau River is its “only realistic option.” That phrase should concern anyone who values rivers. Queenstown did not wake up one morning to discover it had too many visitors, … Continue reading →

The removal of more than 400 tonnes of invasive weeds from Lake Horowhenua sounds impressive. It is. Sadly, it is also not a cure. For decades, raw sewage was discharged into the lake. That legacy does not disappear because a … Continue reading →

Commentary by Andi Cockroft, Chair, CORANZ New Zealand’s legal limit for nitrate-nitrogen in drinking water is 11.3 mg/L. That figure dates back to World Health Organisation guidance from the 1960s, designed to prevent an acute infant condition known as methemoglobinemia … Continue reading →

Guest Commentary by Dave Rhodes Wetlands were once treated as nationally significant. Councils inventoried them. Policies were written. International obligations under the Ramsar Convention were invoked. There was urgency. There was language about protection, restoration, and intergenerational responsibility. That urgency … Continue reading →