National can desecrate Conservation Land + Fishing and get away with it because we are all so swamped

I fear that one of the real dangers we face now is that there simply isn;t enough genuine fourth estate media left to hold this Government to account.

We simply haven’t appreciated what losing Newshub has done to the journalism environment in this country and every day I see issues fly past that really. demand far more attention than they get because there simply aren’t the journalists to hold them to account.

The Government’s new Conservation policy has mostly focused on charging tourists money for visiting iconic sites, all fine and dandy, any way we can make the Hyper Tourism industry pay for the gridlock they create is great, but what hasn’t been focused on is the wider changes that allow more mines and more exploitation of our Conservation land…

Government conservation changes spark backlash over land protections

A major overhaul of conservation land law has sparked sharp criticism from Forest & Bird, which accuses the Government of gutting longstanding protections in favour of commercial interests.

The Government’s intended changes to the Conservation Act, unveiled at the National Party conference in Christchurch yesterday, aims to “unleash growth” by increasing the number of concessions – or permissions – granted to businesses wishing to operate on conservation land.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said many businesses already run on conservation land, but the current regime was “totally broken”, with concessions “often taking years to obtain or renew”.

However, Forest & Bird said the bill’s changes will shift the focus of conservation law “from protection to exploitation”.

“This is not conservation reform, it’s conservation retreat,” chief executive Nicola Toki said. “We should not be making it easier to sell off conservation land for commercial gain.

…on top of that exploitation, the venal Shane Jones has changed fishing rules to empower those in the industry who are exploiting the current system…

Shane Jones’ gift to big fishing a blow to sustainability

The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s fishing industry plans to allow greater catch limits and stop on-board camera footage from being made public.

“Let’s be perfectly clear; this is nothing short of a handout to the fishing industry,” says the Green Party’s Oceans and Fisheries spokesperson, Teanau Tuiono.

“Instead of pandering to industry interests, the Minister must wake up to the reality that he has a responsibility to protect our oceans so that future generations can enjoy what we have today.

“We’ve seen what can happen on boats when operators are left to their own devices. Hiding camera footage from the public and expanding catch limits will only lead to more harm for our oceans, taonga species, and our international reputation.

“Sustainability is to Shane Jones what fossil fuels are to climate action–entirely incompatible. 

“We have called on this Government time and time again to protect what’s most precious to our people and planet, and yet, time and time again, those protections have been rolled back.

“Our oceans are the lifeblood of Aotearoa. We must protect them, not only for their beauty, but for their essential role in sustaining life on our planet.

“The tide is turning on this one-term Government,” says Teanau Tuiono.

…so more exploitation of our environment and laws designed to protect the Industry that donates to Shane Jones.

So many of us are swamped by the cost of living crisis that we don’t have the time to keep up with the blitzkrieg of venal policy for their donor mates.

The corruption we are witnessing daily as these rich pricks destroy our environment is astounding and it really shocks me that so many Kiwis hate Jacinda, Trans, Māori and vaccines to such a degree that they find this all totally acceptable just so they can ‘own the libs’.

 

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