Kia ora e te whānau,

Mihi atu kia koutou, kia hauora, kia kaha! 

April and May are jam-packed with submission deadlines and actions. We’ll highlight a few here and share with you our thoughts and some easy ways on having your say.

Important submissions

Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport – Submit by 2 April

The coalition government wants to slash funding for public transport and safe footpaths and cycleways but build more ‘Roads of National Significance’ to boost ‘economic growth and productivity’. This goes against the urgent need to reduce our oversized transport, get people onto healthy, active modes of transport, and will add financial burden on regions with smaller populations, low-income earners and people who can’t or prefer not to drive. CJT’s submission is around asking the government to bin the GPS or replace their priorities with the following:

• Economy of enough and wellbeing, not economic growth
• Emissions reduction and healthy transport, not more new roads
• Transport for all, not value for money
• Slow down and invest in safety, not funding cut and policing

The GPS and submission details are here: https://consult.transport.govt.nz/policy/gps2024/ You might want to sign the Transport4all petition or use their guideline to help write your submission. 

Fast Track Approvals Bill – Submit by 19 April

By now, most of you would have heard or read about the worst ever piece of legislation being introduced by the coalition government. The Fast Track Approvals Bill represents a war on nature and democracy and has little to do with fast-tracking. It overrides many existing environmental safeguards that have been hard won over the years and gives unfettered power to three Ministers in the name of infrastructure development. Yet it’s not only about infrastructure, but mining, including mining on conservation land. We urge that everyone sends in a submission in opposition to the bill, write to your local MP and talk to your colleagues and friends about it.

To make it easier, Forest and Bird has prepared template letters and a submission form addressed to Parliament’s Environment Select Committee you can use: https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/stop-the-war-on-nature Note this form says you will not make an oral submission.

Individualized written and oral submissions are more powerful. So we strongly encourage you to write a submission in your own words (can be brief), hop onto the Parliament submission website, tick YES to make an oral submission and submit no later than 19 April.

If you’d like to understand the Bill more, have a read of the Environmental Defence Society (EDS) template: https://eds.org.nz/resources/documents/ Or Forest & Bird FAQ: https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/fast-track-approvals-bill-frequently-asked-questions

CJT’s draft submission is here.

New Plymouth District Long Term Plan 2024-34 – Feedback by 19 April

If you live in Ngāmotu / New Plymouth district, have a look at council’s 10-year plan as it would determine council’s spending for the next 10 years. Council has made three “Big Calls” 1) increase budget for transport and Disaster Recovery Reserve; 2) increase budget for sustainability initiatives and contribute to a high frequency bus trial; 3) create a Sustainable Lifestyle Capital Reserve, refocus funding for multi-use artificial turf and grass sports fields, upgrade Brooklands Zoo and the Bellringer Pavilion. Do let council know what you think by filling in its survey or writing a submission: https://www.npdc.govt.nz/ltp/

Upcoming events

Climate Strike – 5 April

 

On April 5, climate strike will be held across Aotearoa. Check out Students Strike 4 Climate NZ website for locations and times. The students have come up with these strong demands:

• Keep the ban on oil and gas
• End fast track approvals bill
• Toitū te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Protect our moana and conservation land
• Climate education for all
• Free Palestine: End the genocide

In Ngāmotu / New Plymouth, we will gather at Puke Ariki from 12:30 noon. At least six schools have confirmed they are coming, so join us! Let us stand together with our rangatahi / youth, and show the government there is strong opposition on the ground to fight for environmental and social justice, a better future for all. See you on April 5 at the Landing!

Toitū Taranaki 2030 Community Workshop – 11 May, Te Whare Hononga, Ngāmotu

Have you always wanted to be part of the solution, to build a just future for all, and realize that you can’t do it alone? If the answers are yes, yes and yes, then join us at our wānanga where we will brainstorm, discuss and work collectively forward. This will be an all day wānanga with speakers and workshops focusing on areas and solutions identified in Toitū Taranaki 2030 – our Community Powered Strategy for a Fast and Just Carbon Neutral Transition. Stay tuned for more details or get in touch if you’d like to contribute in any way.

Reflections

Ara Ake Offshore Renewable Energy Forum – 20-21 March

On 20 March 2024, Climate Justice Taranaki gave a presentation at the fourth Ara Ake Offshore Renewable Energy Forum, on the topic of social licence. For half an hour we shared our group’s thoughts on what we think is sustainable renewable energy and what is not. If it props up big agricultural exports (our biggest climate polluter) and chemical fertiliser production or is exported, then we will not support it. If it adds further pressure on our moana that is already stressed from overfishing, marine heatwaves, toxic algae blooms, plastic rubbish, effluent runoff, ocean acidification, mining and other harms, then we will not support it. We are not anti-renewable energy. We support community-focused solar, onshore wind, micro-hydro, geothermal energy and maybe some bioenergy. Here are our slides and responses to questions raised during our presentation.

Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) seabed mining hearing & protest – 20 March

On 20 March, members of CJT stood alongside mana whenua Ngāti Ruanui, KASM (Kiwis Against Seabed Mining), Greenpeace and others in opposition to seabed mining, while the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) hearings on TTR’s seabed mining re-application took place. It is clear to us that TTR was struggling to meet the Supreme Court’s test of causing no “material harm” to the South Taranaki Bight. Watch this video prepared by Greenpeace.

On 28 March, the news broke that TTR had withdrawn the application from the EPA. KASM spokesperson Cindy Baxter believed, “…to avoid a strong ruling against it, the company has opted instead for the political route… TTR’s putting all its eggs into the fast-track basket relying on political lobbying rather than good science to get this project over the line. And the science was against them.”

Placard and Banner-making workshop, 23 March

Thank you to all those who came to the workshop. We have now several beautiful banners and many placards ready for the April 5 Climate Strike. So even if you have no time to make your own, just come along to the Strike and pick the one that speaks to you most.

Ngā manaakitanga,

Nā, the team at Climate Justice Taranaki