Kia ora e te whānau,

Mihi atu kia koutou, kia hauora, kia kaha! 

So much bad is happening since this new government has come into power. We need to gather all our strength, solidarity and strategies together to resist and restore what is right and just.

Fast Track Approvals Bill a blatant act of vandalism for corporate kleptocracy

The Fast Track Approvals Bill was introduced into Parliament yesterday (7 March). The Bill gives Ministers unfettered power in deciding the fate of significant infrastructure and mining proposals, opens the floodgate for corporate lobbyists while shutting out environmental groups, local communities, and the public. The Ministers for Infrastructure, Regional Development and Transport hold the decision power, not the Minister for the Environment.

The new government is hell-bent on backing the extractive industry by removing the already weak protection in several critical pieces of legislation – the RMA, the EEZ and Continental Shelf Act, the Crown Minerals Act, Conservation Act, and others. This is blatant vandalism for corporate kleptocracy. We need to stop extracting and start restoring and healing our land, our oceans and our people, now.

With this Bill, we can expect more battles against gold, coal, oil and gas, and seabed miners, polluting and damaging highways, aquaculture, irrigation, land conversion and windfarms in places they should not be, all for the sake of insidious economic growth.

The government’s briefing to the energy minister made it clear that it is working to overcome investment barriers, especially in gas exploration and supply as it becomes “increasingly uneconomic.” Yep, you read it right – the government wants to make fossil fuel investment more profitable and keep the gas burning, in the middle of our climate emergency. Carbon capture is on the cards, amongst other things – anything goes, fast.

Read the Fast-track Approvals Bill. Watch the debate at its First Reading in Parliament (Videos 1-11 p.4). Write a Submission to the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Bill (open till 19 April).

Sign this open letter to oil companies, this one to the Prime Minister and this to the Minister for Conservation.

Photo by Marty Melville / Greenpeace

Ban Seabed Mining! No fast track for TTR! Toitū te Tiriti!

Join us to fight the government’s fast-track bill, Toitū te Tiriti and stop highly destructive seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight; to support Ngati Ruanui in protecting their coastlines, their fishing grounds.

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) hearings on seabed mining will take place in Hawera – at the TSB Hub from 13-15 March. The EPA will be considering whether seabed miners Trans Tasman Resources can meet the Supreme Court’s test of causing no “material harm” to the Bight.

We will join mana whenua Ngāti Ruanui, KASM (Kiwis Against Seabed Mining) and others outside the hearing, at 8.30am on 13 March. Come early, stay for the morning, the day, or indeed for all three days. Bring your own placards or banners.

Ara Ake 2024 Offshore Renewable Energy Forum, 20-21 March, TSB Hawera

The national energy center Ara Ake is hosting a forum “to bring together Iwi, key sector stakeholders and the broader community to discuss the opportunities that offshore renewables present Aotearoa New Zealand”. The topics include: Domestic updates; Social licence considerations; Infrastructure challenges; Regulatory and commercial enablers; Regional leadership and transition planning. More details and tickets are available here: https://www.araake.co.nz/news-and-events/oref-2024/

Read our concerns for unfettered, large-scaled offshore energy development.

Placard and Banner-making workshop, 23 March, Ngāmotu / New Plymouth

This is in preparation to our big Climate Strike. Come along, get creative, learn new skills and have fun together!  It’s from 10am-3pm at the Peace Hall Lounge, 44 Vivian Street.

Climate Strike – Aotearoa is rising, 5 April, Ngāmotu / New Plymouth

“The Government will not get away with complete disregard for people, planet and future generations. We’re coming together, uniting, to stand up for environmental, indigenous and social Justice. We’re taking back the power”, says School Strike 4 Climate NZ.

We are calling on all Taranaki schools, students, teachers, parents, grandparents and friends to support this day of action, and start organising. Get in touch if you would like any help, be it to bounce ideas around, get some advice or training on marshalling, using a megaphone,  writing a press release, or help in coordination… Get in touch via climatejusticetaranaki@riseup.net

Invite others and see you all at Puke Ariki Landing on 5 April from 12:30 noon.

You can also support SchoolStrike4Climate financially.

Ngā manaakitanga,

Nā, the team at Climate Justice Taranaki