| | EDS has welcomed the Waikato Regional Council’s landmark decision to prohibit bottom-contact fishing methods such as trawling, dredging and Danish seining across most of the eastern Waikato coastal marine area. The move follows submissions from EDS and others calling for the ban and is based on extensive scientific evidence that these practices continue to impact seabed ecosystems, damaging complex habitats and reducing marine biodiversity. The decision delivers on the Council’s responsibility under the Resource Management Act to safeguard indigenous biodiversity. It marks another significant step forward in protecting the Hauraki Gulf. EDS is preparing to support the decision against expected appeals from the fishing industry, to ensure this hard-won progress reaches fruition. Donations for the case are welcome (and needed). |
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| | | EDS to review energy policy to bolster renewables transition |
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| | EDS’s policy team is looking at the future of our energy system. We know that to meet our climate targets we will need to decarbonise, and a big part of this will be the widespread electrification of the economy through the provision of more renewables. But it’s becoming clear that renewables are not being delivered at the pace needed, and the resource management consenting system is getting a lot of the blame. But is this system – and its crucial environmental protections for biodiversity and landscape – being treated as a scapegoat for barriers that are arising elsewhere? Is the electricity market working and are the right incentives in place? | | We will be doing a deep dive into how we can turbocharge renewables and create a sustainable, affordable and secure energy system while not undermining the environments that New Zealanders cherish. Currently we are in the scoping phase of the project and are looking for funding partners. |
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| | | Councils should release pre-lodgement information |
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| | EDS is calling on councils to proactively release information provided by applicants during pre-lodgement consultation under the Fast-Track Approvals Act 2024. This follows EDS correspondence with the Office of the Ombudsman, which says that agencies are encouraged to utilise proactive release as a way of delivering on the purpose of the OIA and LGOIMA. The Ombudsman also clarified that non-disclosure agreements are not a conclusive reason for secrecy; rather agencies must weigh any confidentiality claim against the public interest in release. EDS says this means councils have a clear mandate to share pre-lodgement information openly, enabling affected communities and iwi to engage meaningfully before projects are referred for fast-track approval. Correspondence from the Ombudsman is available here. |
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| | | | When it comes to resource management reform, we are in the calm before the storm. Policy development for the Government’s replacement of the RMA with a new Planning Act and an Environment Act is nearing its conclusion, with replacement legislation due to be introduced into Parliament by the end of the year. We will all have submission writing to look forward to over the Christmas break. | What will the replacement Bills look like? It’s still not clear what the Government’s thinking on some key features such as regulatory takes, environmental limits and how the Acts will relate to each other. In September, EDS produced a fulsome analysis of the Government’s Expert Advisory Group blueprint, highlighting key risks and opportunities as we head into the legislative process. Our report can be found here. EDS will be drafting a comprehensive submission, providing a template submission that people can use to make their concerns known, and presenting a public webinar. |
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| | | EDS to embark on fisheries management review |
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| | Following on from the completion of EDS’s Ocean Policy Reform project we are now scoping a policy project which will undertake an in-depth dive into the fisheries management system. The quota management system will be 40 years old next year so it’s timely to undertake a review to test whether the system is fit for purpose. This is particularly the case given the rapid warming of our oceans, more frequent marine heatwaves, and new movements of species. The project will involve in-depth interviews with a wide range of people involved in the fisheries system. We will also be exploring trawling innovations to avoid the need to drag gear across the seabed. We are currently seeking funders and participants for the project. |
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| | | Hauraki Gulf kelp restoration |
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| | The Hauraki Gulf Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act came into force on 25 October. This is a major milestone in efforts to bring the Gulf back to its former glory. On the back of the new legislation the NEXT Foundation has announced its funding commitment of up to $20 million over five years for kelp restoration in the Gulf. Pilot restoration projects are planned for the Noises Islands and Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island with research to be undertaken at Motutapu. This is enormously exciting and we will hopefully see kelp restoration at a landscape scale along with associated increased biodiversity and fish production. |
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| | | | For more information contact manager@eds.org.nz. | | If you no longer wish to receive emails from the Environmental Defence Society, you can unsubcribe via Opt-Out. |
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