New no-take (for most) fishing areas have been formally adopted by Northland Regional Council (NRC) following a ground-breaking* Environment Court decision that confirmed fishing – including recreational – is no longer permitted from Maunganui Bay (Deep Water Cove) to Oporua (Oke Bay) in the Bay of Islands as well as around the Mimiwhangata peninsula, which is 50 kilometres north of Whangārei. Continue reading

MARY-LOUISE KEARNEY: CO-GOVERNANCE - "IT’S THE VETO ISSUE, STUPID” Dr Mary Louise Kearney writes that very few people know about the veto aspect of co-governance or its significance because this is rarely mentioned by the media and politicians. “Whether negligent or deliberate, this helps fan the apathy of New Zealanders and their dangerous ignorance about co-governance (and similar major policy issues) overall”. READ MORE Continue reading

The Hauraki Gulf Fisheries Plan (the Plan) has recently been approved by the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries and is now being implemented. Under this plan the control of the fisheries has been taken out of the hands of democratically accountable representatives, now to be managed in a co-governance arrangement between Māori and Crown agencies. Continue reading

Many of us are opposed to co-governance and believe that decision-making must be fair, transparent, and democratic, with all decision-makers accountable to the citizens. This being so, we have reviewed the main political parties to find out their stance on co-governance - both in general and specific to the Hauraki Gulf. The parties appear in alphabetical order. Continue reading

Citizens of Auckland - please take this opportunity to say whether you want the council to introduce Māori seats. Consultation closes at 11:59pm on Sunday 24 September 2023.  Auckland Council is currently seeking feedback on their proposal to introduce up to three dedicated Māori seats. Continue reading

Following preliminary engagement with iwi and urban Māori in 2022, Auckland Council will shortly be asking Aucklanders for their feedback on whether they support - or do not support - the introduction of a dedicated Māori seat/s on Council. Public consultation will run from 21 August until 24 September. Continue reading

On nearly every front, the Government is creating separate and unequal rights in the name of the Treaty. Undemocratic co-governance policies implemented by the Labour government now extend to the management of significant natural areas (SNAs) - including those on privately owned land.   Continue reading

Both the Natural & Built Environment and the Spatial Planning Bills are set to become law in the coming weeks. As we pointed out in previous articles, Labour’s new resource management regime is far worse than the current system. Worse in that it will diminish local voices, reduce democratic accountability, increase uncertainty, and embed inequitable rights based on race.  Continue reading

ETHNO-NATIONALISM OR DEMOCRATIC-NATIONALISM: WHICH WAY AHEAD FOR NEW ZEALAND? PROFESSOR ELIZABETH RATA - Faculty of Education, University of Auckland (30 June 2021) “We will have to decide whether we want our future to be that of an ethno-nationalist state or a democratic-nationalist one. Ethno-nationalism has political categories based on racial classification – the belief that our fundamental identity (personal, social and political) is fixed in our ancestry. Here the past determines the future. Identity, too, is fixed in that past. In contrast, democratic-nationalism has one political category – that of citizenship – justified by the shared belief in a universal human identity”. READ MORE Continue reading

Over the past year, the government-appointed Electoral Review Panel has been looking at our general election laws and procedures “to find out what is working well and what could change”. The Panel has formed an initial view and would like to hear what we think before finalising their report for the Minister of Justice.  We have until July 17 to have our say. Continue reading