News Direct: Media releases
New name for water association
24 Mar 2009
New Zealand’s largest water industry representative body says it is changing its name to reflect the need for a more cohesive approach to the management, use and conservation of our most precious natural resource.
Green ideas on display at Bayfair
24 Mar 2009
The green knowledge-wave is gathering force as a new Sustainable Information Expo makes its debut this week at Bayfair Shopping Centre.
Business Roundtable releases climate change submission
20 Mar 2009
The Business Roundtable has released the submission which it presented yesterday to the emissions trading scheme review committee of Parliament.
Trans-Tasman climate ministers meet
20 Mar 2009
The Australian Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, and New Zealand Minister for Climate Change Issues, Dr Nick Smith, met in Canberra yesterday to discuss climate change and water issues, says a joint press release.
UN chief urges people to join Earth Hour
20 Mar 2009
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged citizens around the world to join WWF's Earth Hour to demand action on climate change
Meridian and NZ Antarctic Institute sign MOU
20 Mar 2009
Antarctica New Zealand and Meridian Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding setting out how the two organisations will work together to achieve their mutual aims of long-term environmental viability in Antarctica.
Five leading New Zealand minds for Eco-Minds
20 Mar 2009
Five leading university students have been selected to represent New Zealand at the prestigious Asia-Pacific regional Eco-Minds sustainable development forum, being hosted by The University of Auckland on May 25 – 29 in Auckland and Rotorua.
New directory of green services
20 Mar 2009
The Sustainable Business Network, in collaboration with green living site Ecobob.co.nz, has launched what it says is the world’s first online directory of green products and services where listings are compared against basic principles of sustainability.
Auckland still up in the air over transport funding, says Labour
20 Mar 2009
Yesterday's road talkfest still leaves Auckland hanging in air over transport funding, says the Labour Party.
First 'Roads of National Significance' identified
20 Mar 2009
The government yesterday announced the first seven Roads of National Significance, which have been singled out as essential routes that require priority treatment.
Labour calls for Government investment in jobs and warm homes for Dunedin
20 Mar 2009
Dunedin South Labour MP Clare Curran has called for the National Government to urgently invest in a comprehensive programme to create hundreds of jobs and make Dunedin’s 40,000 cold houses warm and dry.
Auckland road tax shows National doesn’t get agriculture
20 Mar 2009
Taxing rural communities more to pay for Auckland’s roads shows that National doesn’t understand the importance of agriculture for New Zealand’s economy, Opposition agriculture spokesperson Jim Anderton says.
Solid Energy says it continues improvement in environmental performance
20 Mar 2009
A 3.2 per cent reduction in its environmental impact and substantial progress in improving the quality of the water at Stockton opencast mine in Buller are the main achievements highlighted in Solid Energy’s 2008 environmental report, released yesterday.
Anti-business cuts surely unsustainable?
17 Mar 2009
Cutting funding to the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) shows the Government is taking an unsustainable and anti-business approach to sustainability, said Green Party co-leader Dr Russel Norman.
$1 billion more for state highways
17 Mar 2009
As part of the government’s Jobs and Growth plan, Prime Minister John Key and Transport Minister Steven Joyce have announced almost a billion dollars of additional investment in the state highway network over the next three years.
Pike River, raising NZ$45 mln in share sale, has stock halted
17 Mar 2009
Pike River Coal, the mining company raising NZ$45 million by selling shares to cover unforeseen costs until it can produce coal, had its stock halted from trading pending an announcement.
Government says it's committed to Auckland rail electrification
17 Mar 2009
Transport Minister Steven Joyce has confirmed the government’s commitment to the electrification of Auckland rail, which was to have been funded through the regional fuel tax.
Don't short-circuit rail electrification, say Greens
17 Mar 2009
Auckland Green Party MP Keith Locke has warned against any "pause" in Auckland's rail electrification project.
Revamped packaging awards announced
17 Mar 2009
The Packaging Council has announced the new categories and criteria for its 2009 Environmental Packaging Awards.
Unprecedented demand for recycled glass, says forum
17 Mar 2009
The Glass Packaging Forum is challenging claims that “glass along with other recyclables holds no value”.
Mixed fortunes for energy SOEs at half-year
17 Mar 2009
The energy SOE's produced mixed results for the half-year to December 31, 2008, reflecting a combination of high wholesale electricity prices, expanded generation portfolios, slumping export orders, and the variable impact of new international accounting standards on the bottom line.
Chauvel says Government speaking out of both sides of its mouth on SOE energy profits
17 Mar 2009
Labour Energy spokesperson Charles Chauvel says he doesn’t believe the public will be fooled for one minute by Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee’s calls over recent weeks for moderation from SOEs like Meridian Energy over recent power price rises in Christchurch.
Use power company profits to reduce winter power bills, says Anderton
17 Mar 2009
Strong profit increases in the state-owned power companies should be returned to consumers to help with winter power bills, Progressive Wigram MP Jim Anderton says.
Diesel’s award-winning excellence must fuel Government review of road user charges - Hyundai
17 Mar 2009
Hyundai Motors New Zealand says the award-winning performance of its compact diesel i30 in this year’s AA Motoring Excellence Awards is ultimate proof that it’s high time the Government scrapped discriminatory road user charges for diesel cars.
Regional fuel tax decision avoids colour coded diesel
17 Mar 2009
“The spectre of UK-style colour coded diesel has been avoided by National dumping the previous Government’s proposed Regional Fuel Tax (RFT),” says Don Aubrey, Federated Farmers transport spokesperson.
North Shore says 'no' to privatised water
17 Mar 2009
North Shore City Council has strongly opposed any moves to privatise the city’s or the Auckland region’s water supply and wastewater disposal systems.
Concrete national cycleway would save jobs, says industry
13 Mar 2009
The concrete sector has welcomed the Government's commitment to a national cycleway, and says that concrete must be considered as a suitable construction material.
New 'green' freight hub opens
13 Mar 2009
A new environmentally friendly temperature-controlled international freight-forwarding and logistics hubs was opened by Hellmann Worldwide Logistics in Christchurch on yesterday.
Clean streams accord part of a much bigger picture, says industry
13 Mar 2009
DairyNZ says the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord is just one example of the initiatives undertaken to improve dairy farming’s effect on the environment, and it is a strong supporter of farmers taking action to meet the accord.
National breaks election promise again with job cuts, says Labour
13 Mar 2009
Cut-backs at the Ministry for Environment once again show the Government is intending to drastically reduce the public service, Labour’s State Services spokesperson Grant Robertson said.
Superfund continues to invest in nuclear weapons, say Greens
6 Mar 2009
Four months after a commitment to divest the New Zealand Superfund from companies involved in manufacturing nuclear weapons and cluster bombs, the Green Party called on the Government to set a deadline to sell its remaining $25 million investment.
Seismic search for oil and gas starts
6 Mar 2009
Energy and Resources Minister,Gerry Brownlee,says survey work has started by the ship the Pacific Titan to assess the oil and gas potential of the Reinga Basin.
NZ must legislate biofuels, says Kiwi world-record holder
6 Mar 2009
New Zealanders will not get to use greener biofuels unless the government introduces legislation to replace the Biofuels Bill it dumped recently, according to the Kiwi holding the record for fastest circumnavigation of the earth in a powerboat.
Prime Minister further undermining progress on climate change: Labour
6 Mar 2009
The withdrawal by Greenpeace on Wednewday from the ETS Review Select Committee, when it learned of John Key's latest position on climate change science, puts progress in this area at further risk, says Labour spokesperson for Climate Change Charles Chauvel.
Govt releases draft new rules for Electricity Commission
3 Mar 2009
Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee has released a revised policy direction for the Electricity Commission for public comment.
Don’t trade the environment for short term jobs - Eco
3 Mar 2009
The Government should reject proposals from the Job Summit to trade environmental quality for elusory short-term gains, the Environment and Conservation Organisations says.
Obama's commitment to ETS a signal to NZ
27 Feb 2009
A renewed strong commitment to introduce emissions trading by US President Barrack Obama sends New Zealand a signal to get on with implementing its own ETS scheme and securing the country’s trade and tourism, says the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Maari oil flows
27 Feb 2009
The announcement about the flow of first oil at the Maari oil field is a welcomed achievement and a timely reminder of our untapped resources, says Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee.
New draft standards on wind farm noise
27 Feb 2009
Standards New Zealand is inviting public comment on draft Standard DZ 6808 Acoustics - Wind Farm Noise.
RMA attacks encourage environmental vandals
27 Feb 2009
The Government’s attacks on the Resource Management Act will encourage environmental vandals, the Green Party says.
BMW investigates wind power
27 Feb 2009
BMW Manufacturing says it has begun a study into the feasibility of using wind energy on the plant site.
Ministerial working party on electricity
27 Feb 2009
Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee says he’s considering a Ministerial working party to reshape the regulatory functions of the electricity industry.
Billions of dollars of green buildings
27 Feb 2009
Turner Construction Company, a lealding American builder of “green buildings,” completed more than $US3 billion of green construction projects during 2008.
Federated Farmers: Fitzsimons' departure should lead to ETS rethink
24 Feb 2009
“With the news that Jeanette Fitzsimons is to resign as the Green Party’s Co-Leader, the Green Party now stands at a crossroads,” says Frank Brenmuhl, Federated Farmers climate change spokesperson.
Pulling the plug on old, inefficient appliances
24 Feb 2009
Kiwis are getting a helping hand to rid their homes of inefficient appliances over the next few weeks as part of Fisher & Paykel Appliances’ annual recycling days.
Hamilton gets landmark water consent
24 Feb 2009
Hamilton City Council has been successfully granted a landmark consent which will renew the city’s water take for the next 35 years.
Meridian wins consent for Mill Creek wind farm
20 Feb 2009
Resource consents for a wind farm using Wellington’s most famous natural resource have been granted to Meridian Energy for its Mill Creek wind farm north west of the capital city, the company says.
Leading tourism businesses becoming more sustainable
20 Feb 2009
Some of Queenstown’s top tourism businesses are leading the way to a more sustainable future by signing up for the district’s first-ever sustainable business programme.
Vector should pay adequate compensation
20 Feb 2009
“There is a sense of irony when Vector yesterday announced handsome profits at a time when most businesses are struggling in the new economic environment, and then today because of a failure on Vector’s power network many businesses in Newmarket have suffered material financial losses,” said Ralph Matthes, executive director of the Major Electricity Users’ Group, yesterday.
Climate change truth is self-evident: Greens
17 Feb 2009
As Auckland experiences its highest-ever temperatures, droughts worsen each year and Australian bush fires rage, the New Zealand Government is looking more and more behind the game, say the Greens.
Gene tech reforms face political split
Today 11:00am
By Shannon Morris-Williams |The Government’s Gene Technology Bill continues to divide Parliament, after the Health Select Committee released its long-awaited report last week outlining key recommendations and lingering concerns.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
Today 11:00am
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Council buys dairy farm to help clean up Lake Rotorua
Tue 21 Oct 2025
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has bought a 266-hectare dairy farm in the Lake Rotorua catchment and plans to retire it from production to reduce nitrogen entering the lake.
Govt releases updated emissions projections
13 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Ministry for the Environment has released updated emissions projections to 2050, which show significant differences to the Climate Change Commission's recent projections for the same period.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
Wed 22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Emails show forestry lobby fought Gisborne crackdown as slash clean-up drags on
26 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Sustainable land use advocates are accusing Eastland Wood Council of stonewalling efforts to tighten forestry rules, after correspondence between the group and the local council was released under the Official Information Act.
Govt to ease climate reporting thresholds, water down liability
Wed 22 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The rollback of climate change reporting requirements has produced a wave of relief in corporate New Zealand as managed investment funds and listed companies with annual revenue under $1 billion are exempted.
