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Despite the threats posed by accelerating climate change, invasive species, habitat loss and pollution, the environment still seems to be a tradable commodity here in New Zealand.
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The Weekender |
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OCTOBER 11, 2024
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Despite the threats posed by accelerating climate change, invasive species, habitat loss and pollution, the environment still seems to be a tradable commodity here in New Zealand. Something that can take a hit or two as we balance other economic or social priorities. But those compromises add up, and today we have reached or passed most environmental limits. We need faster decision-making to make change, so at face value a Fast-Track for development could be viewed as a positive thing, but not when it’s taking us backwards. Back to an economy dependent on fossil fuels or environmentally destructive activities. As Rebekah White writes in her story below, the Bill is a brute force instrument, with little strategic planning to inform which projects are selected, or how those projects interact with local government regulation or international commitments. New Zealand Geographic has always been apolitical, but we can’t abandon the central idea that a functioning society and a strong economy both depend on a healthy environment. |
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ENVIRONMENT What’s the point of the Fast-Track Bill?On Sunday, the coalition government finally revealed a list of 149 projects set to bypass environmental protections and public consultation en route to construction. The list of projects includes large-scale housing developments, solar farms, wind farms, mining projects (for gold, coal, sand and seabed minerals), new roads, road upgrades, aquaculture projects, and a roof for Eden Park. They were winnowed from 384 applications, which had been prioritised by an advisory panel. Ministers mostly chose projects from the top three priority levels, then cherry-picked others from the remaining five sections, with a bias among those towards aquaculture, mining, and renewable energy. Overall, it isn’t clear why particular projects have been chosen, and the list has a somewhat garage-sale vibe to it. “They are all incredibly ad hoc, and some of them run contrary to other directions of evolving government policy,” says Gary Taylor from the Environmental Defence Society. |
MORE STORIES ABOUT THE FAST TRACK: |
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OTAGO FLOODS Rising dampSome 50 properties across Dunedin were red or yellow-stickered in the wake of last week's floods. But they may not be the only ones to lose their homes. While shooting a story on eels in Otago, New Zealand Geographic photographer Richard Robinson stopped in on the colony of endangered black-billed gulls in Ashburton that he had photographed for a feature in 2019. “The water definitely went up over all the nests,” says Robinson. “You could see eggs that had rolled out.” This is the second such flooding event this year, which washed out most dotterel nests and postponed nesting for gulls and terns. “It’s not the floods per se that are the issue but the intensity and rapidity of these floods, combined with the lack of habitat availability forcing birds to settle for sub-optimal areas,” explains DOC's Clement Lagrue who leads the groundwork on the Southland braided rivers. “Add predators and human interference, and voila, recipe for a tough situation.” |
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PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR Finalise your favouritesEvery year, the peaks and troughs of existence in New Zealand are visually summarised in the New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year competition and exhibition. This year, 69 finalists are the pixel-perfect description of 2024—from wild beauty to destructive wild fires, ocean depths to mountain tops, triumph and tragedy. We have portraits of local heroes, celebrities and family. Each has been judged for its photographic brilliance, but now it’s your turn to tell us which images resonate most with you. Visit the exhibition in the atrium at Britomart, Auckland, or vote for five of your favourites for the People’s Choice award online... |
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