The Environment Select Committee has released its report and recommended amendments to the Natural and Built Environment Bill. Supporters of The Tree Council and the New Zealand Arboricultural Association sent more than 3,300 submissions to the select committee supporting the changes recommended in their Stop the Chop campaign. The Parliamentary...
From 1 July 2023, the sale and manufacture of many single-use plastic products have been banned, restricted or phased out. Drinking straws Cutlery Bowls, trays and platters without lids Produce bags used to pack fresh fruit and vegetables Produce labels. The ban applies where items are sold or supplied for...
The National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (NPS IB) will come into force on 4 August 2023. The NPS IB will become part of the Natural and Built Environment Act’s National Planning Framework. “This is a great step forward for protecting nature and has been many years in gestation,” said...
The Environmental Defence Society has released its review of the Conservation Management Planning System, calling for urgent reform. Co-authored by Dr Deidre Koolen-Bourke, Raewyn Peart, Bronwyn Wilde and Tracey Turner, the report reviews the adequacy of the legislation and policy settings, statutory planning documents, concessions system and institutional arrangements for...
Within the next 12 months, Auckland Transport (AT) will introduce easier payment options across all of Auckland’s buses, trains, and ferries. This will enable customers to tag on and off with debit/credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, alongside the current AT HOP card. The changes will apply to...
In the 2023 Auckland Architecture Awards, the recently re-opened Domain Wintergardens have been awarded an Enduring Architecture award, and the Symonds Street Public Convenience & Shelter won in the Heritage category. Awarded by Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects, these awards celebrate projects that have stood the test...
Auckland Council is asking for feedback on how Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland should grow over the next 30 years, with public consultation open until 4 July 2023. Council expects half a million more people to be living in the city by 2058. The strategy is its plan to make sure homes, jobs...
ARA Heritage Buses is a small band of volunteers devoted to saving examples of ex Auckland Regional Authority buses. They have recently acquired the very first ARA Mercedes Benz 0305, bus no. 1301. This was the first truly modern bus in Auckland. The iconic yellow Mercedes 0305 buses became the...
Bike Auckland has an article here, outlining their call for one lane on the Auckland Harbour Bridge to be permanently motor traffic-free, enabling people to walk and wheel across Te Waitematā between the North Shore and the CBD. They say that converting one lane for walking and cycling is the...
Canon Oceania has launched its biggest ever grants programme, with $25,000 worth of funding and product on offer to environmental groups, community organisations, and schools around New Zealand. The winning recipient will receive $5,000 ($2,500 cash, $2,500 product) and also has an opportunity to win a Content Development Package valued...