Calls for the dumping of the government’s disastrous new and proposed laws was a repeated focus of discussion at ECOs AGM held online today, Sunday 23 August.
ECO, the Environment and Conservation Organisation of Aotearoa-NZ was established in 1971 as a coalition of organisations with a concern for the environment.
The multitude of laws were described as eco-toxic by members at the meeting, ECO Chairperson, Barry Weeber, said.
ECO’s member bodies at the meeting were unanimous that at least five laws or draft laws that attack the environmental protections in Aotearoa should be withdrawn as hugely damaging to the environment.
The laws were the:
- The Conservation Amendment Bill which proposes that the purpose of DoC and public conservation lands must be economic growth and development;
- The Fisheries Amendment Bill that lessens attention to the environment and restricts information on fishing impacts;
- The proposed Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill, which together weaken environmental considerations, require that public good controls on environmental harms can only be put in place if local government compensates those who harm the environment. They set up impossibly laborious requirements for any environmental protections; remove or dilute national environmental standards. These laws will not work and will lead to years of litigation and environmental harm. Most people are denied the right to participate in decision-making. Te Tiriti obligations are limited, and Māori lose rights to be partners in local government;
- The Climate Change Response Amendment Act undermine climate action, and our international reputation by weakening the country’s methane targets, and limiting the reporting requirements of the Climate Change Commission.
The Climate Change Response (torts) amendment Act prevents court action to hold greenhouse gas polluting companies to court.
Exploration and mining on shore and at sea were condemned at the meeting as having little regard for the environment and local communities,
The ECO member organisations present agreed that the New Zealand environment and Māori Treaty rights were being undermined by these successive measures.
Members expressed concern at the weakening of Te Tiriti obligations and the recognition of the Treaty in our law.
ECO Chairperson, Barry Weeber, stressed that ECO is non-partisan and welcomes good ecologically sustainable environmental policy and law from any political party, organisation or individual.
“The concerns are very serious and we cannot stay quiet at the attacks on our environment, on local democracy, and the removal of processes for the public to participate, and the deprivation of rights to use the court processes and to take appeals.
Members called for the repeal of Fast Track law which is a recipe for disastrous decision making and which excludes experts and communities from engaging in key environmental decisions.
“We need to make better environmental law and policy which treats our unique environment, biodiversity and ecosystems with respect. We already have lost too much of our native species and ecosystems.
The organisations present at today’s AGM came from around the country representing over a dozen organisations and several observers.
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