The Wire with Alex

Two Green Party members' bills were drawn recently; the first would ban mining on conservation land. It comes at a time when parties in the government coalition seem to have their hearts set on turbo-charging the mining industry, with a key bill being put forward that would enable a range of new commercial activities on conservation land and potentially allow the sale of over 60% of the land.

The other green party bill aims to protect children leaving care in Oranga Tamariki from finding themselves without a place to live.

Finally, a landmark climate lawsuit against six major companies was stopped in its tracks by the government. The government says that it made the decision to prevent the suit to ensure businesses had legal clarity and certainty. However, it has now been revealed that the government and business lobbyests had been in contact, and knowledge of this contact may have been unduly withheld, prompting critics to raise the alarm that the government may be circumventing core democratic processes to satisfy business interests.

So for our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party, Host Manny spoke with MP Ricardo Menéndez March about their parties members bill, especially mining on conservation land, and what it means for the government to intervene in such as way with this case.

Wilding pines are an ongoing issue for ecosystems across Aotearoa. The ubiquitous conifers crowd out native plantlife, taking up water and nutrients that would otherwise be used to support native ecosystems. The pines also present a fire risk, and shrink the available grazing land of farms.

The pines spread easily and rapidly, requiring intensive eradication efforts to both remove the pines from a region and ensure they do not return.

Earlier this week, the government announced a boost to wilding pine control funding of an additional $79 million over the next three years bringing the total spend to $109 million.

So, to discuss the war on Christmas trees and the destruction these pines wreak on our ecosystems, producer Theo spoke to Dr Justin Nairn, a plant protection scientist at Scion and the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science.

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman speaks with us about electricity from ambient moisture, bananas in smoothies, and whether or not we can cool the earth with tiny particles.

For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Host Alex spoke with MP Ryan Hamilton about the Government’s increasing use of AI, The Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill, and the government changing agency names to English before Māori.

Alex also spoke with Dr Chris McMillan, a Professional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland, about the dangerous temperatures facing athletes at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, how they will affect the game, and what FIFA's role in this is.

And for Green World this week, Producer Thomas spoke to the University of Waikato’s Associate Professor in Law Nathan Cooper, on New Zealand’s role in the United Nation’s latest resolution affirming the International Court of Justice’s ruling that states have a legal duty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the environment from the climate crisis. 

Last week environmental organisation Forest and Bird filed judicial review proceedings in the High Court to challenge extension of consents for the Tukituki Water Storage Project.

The consents, which were granted in 2015, were meant to expire after 10 years, but despite no physical work being done the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, and Hastings District Council have decided to extend the lapse dates by an additional FIVE years.

Forest and Bird have argued the environmental context of the project has changed in the last decade and want to ensure decision makers go through the correct process. 

The organisation has a history opposing the project, winning a Supreme Court case in 2017 stopping a land swap allowing the dam to flood 22 hectares of public conservation land.

To discuss the challenge against the Tukituki water storage project consent extension producer Thomas talked to Forest & Bird acting general counsel May Downing.