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KAITIAKITANGA — CARING FOR AOTEAROA'S NATURAL WORLD
Environmental news for Aotearoa New Zealand — for DOC rangers, conservation practitioners, environmental scientists, and anyone who cares about this land.
Awa & Moana
freshwater & marine
Rivers, lakes, wetlands, and coastal waters — water quality, marine reserves, and the health of Aotearoa's awa and moana.
RSS ↗Arthur's Pass campsite torn up by 4WD vehicles
The vehicles have left deep tyre tracks over a large area, compacting the soil, creating wide ruts and making the site much more susceptible to erosion, says DOC.
Gisborne slash clash: Mayor feels like 'meat in the middle'
The mayor says community members feel the council's approach to consent was not tough enough, but the forestry industry has expressed a different view.
Gisborne District Council open to change over forestry management of slash, sediment
Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann acknowledged the appointment of a government facilitator and promised to engage constructively with him.
Kawau Island residents weigh in on rubbish stoush
Sandspit Reserve residents say their home is being used as a dumping ground for the island's homeowners and holidaymakers.
North Auckland landfill proposal returns to court over river rules
Forest and Bird is challenging the development over its impact on rivers.
Former PM Norman Kirk's legacy marked with mountain
The previously-unnamed mountain near Lake Manapouri will now be known as Mount Kirk.
Ngāi Tūāhuriri places rāhui over customary whitebait season until further notice
Ngāi Tūāhuriri has placed a rāhui over their customary whitebait season this year, which will continue until further notice.
High Court finds Rotorua council broke law in handling of sewerage pipe near sacred lake
The Rotokākahi Board of Control, which manages Lake Rotokākahi, took Rotorua Lakes Council to court over the plan in December.
Kaikōura trust seeks review after DOC decides not to vaccinate penguins amidst bird flu
The Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust said little penguins were at risk of mass localised extinctions.
Taranaki Kōkako recovery to get $1 million boost
New funding will support predator control, habitat restoration and kōkako monitoring across more than 46,000 hectares of Taranaki forest.
LNG document should not have been hidden, ombudsman says
The document concluded access to liquefied natural gas was unlikely to affect average electricity prices.
Dome Valley landfill proposal returns to court over river rules
Forest and Bird is challenging the development over its impact on rivers.
Three big NZ petrol companies barely shift greenhouse gas emissions in a year
Z Energy, BP and Mobil account for more than half of New Zealand's climate pollution - not including agriculture.
Warning that 'pests will not stop' for local government reform
Pests will not stop while the future of local government arrangements are worked through, councils are warning.
Pygmy blue whale washes ashore on West Coast
DOC is working with contractors with diggers to bury the whale's body in the sand near the dunes.
Climate change adaptation not keeping pace with fast-growing risks - report
Urgent efforts are needed to avoid an 'intensifying spiral' of response to extreme events, a Climate Change Commission report says.
Mohaka sheep genetics to be stored as wild numbers drop
The Mohaka sheep is having its unique genetics preserved as its numbers in the wild continue to drop.
More than $1 million for Taranaki coastal habitat and kōkako
More than $1 million in Government funding will help restore some of Taranaki’s rarest coastal habitat and protect kōkako in the region’s north-east, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.
Getting warmer in the search for whio
Spotting a shy duck in river rapids has become much easier, thanks to a trial project using thermal drones to find threatened whio in the Tongariro area.
Hauraki Gulf’s ‘stunning’ marine life captured in new video footage and 3D models
Sponges and black corals are among the spectacular species filmed by researchers surveying the underwater depths of rocky reefs in the Hauraki Gulf / Tīpaka Moana.
Auditor-General urged to launch inquiry into plans to build LNG terminal
There are clear questions about whether the terminal is worth the money, say consumer and climate groups.
Delmore housing development with plan to truck wastewater away gets fast-track approval
Treated wastewater will be transported off site during summer periods "when necessary" during the first phase of the development.
Housing development with plan to truck wasterwater away gets fast-track approval
Treated wastewater will be transported off site during summer periods "when necessary" during the first phase of the development.
Emissions-saving furnace fires up at Glenbrook Steel Mill
The new electric arc furnace is expected to save the country a million tonnes in carbon emissions every year.
Commerce Commission to scrutinise Watercare's $15.2b plan
The 10 year investment will be paid for by Aucklanders through their rates bill.
Kiwi neighbourhoods with highest rooftop solar rates
Nationwide, rates of solar installation are lagging, but some towns and suburbs are bucking the trend.
Schools closed as Ohakune faces water shutdown
Residents and visitors are being told not to use tap water or flush toilets, and to conserve supplies.
Alert warns Ohakune residents of water outage after quake damage
Residents and visitors are being told not to use tap water or flush toilets, and to conserve supplies.
Underground counters lose track of who's visiting nature
The Department of Conservation's systems for counting visitors at 700 public conservation sites are old and plagued by delays and data loss.
Bird flu preparations ramp up as cases rise in Australia
The country has just two confirmed cases of the deadly H5 flu, but the poultry industry is not taking any chances.
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