Media round-up
25 Jul 2025
In our round-up of the climate coverage in local media: Dairy conversions surge; Gore is hit with a drinking water crisis; meanwhile farming lobby groups Groundswell and Federated Farmers are up in arms about a plan to classify environmental impacts in the agriculture and forestry sector.
Gore's brown trout statue defaced overnight amid drinking water crisis
RNZ
A stoush has erupted over a Greenpeace stunt involving Gore's brown trout statue with Federated Farmers calling it "vandalism" and Greenpeace labelling them as "science deniers".
Who Benefits: The power of the farm lobby
by David Williams, Newsroom
This first story in Newsroom’s Who Benefits series is a deep dive into proposed changes to freshwater policy. Agricultural lobby groups pushed for further changes, and then ministers intervened.
Groundswell and the new scaremongering about climate action
By Simon Wilson, NZ Herald
Farm lobby groups Groundswell and Federated Farmers are both up in arms about a plan to classify environmental impacts in the agriculture and forestry sectors. In effect, to blow the whistle on greenwashing.
Electric motorbike maker Ubco saved by Kiwi rich-list families, adopts new focus
By Chris Keall, NZ Herald
Three Kiwi rich-list families and another former investor have stepped up to buy financially troubled electric motor bike maker Ubco.
How Factor, a New Zealand-based energy tech company, wants to make energy pricing and forecasting easier
By Mandy Te, interest.co.nz
The business-to-business company uses plug-and-play automation tools, with the help of AI, to support companies with energy pricing.
Government cannot achieve “enduring freshwater policy” by siding with narrow commercial interests
By Marnie Prickett, Mike Joy, Marie Doole and Simon Hales, PHCC
The Government has opened public consultation on the changes proposed to establish what it calls “enduring” national freshwater policy.
Can households really assess their own climate risk?
By Eloise Gibson, RNZ
An expert panel has called for consistent, quality information on flood risk to enable people to decide whether to buy, rent or renovate properties.
Canterbury dairy conversions surge amid soaring milk prices and looser rules
By Charlie Mitchell, The Press
A wave of dairy conversions is rolling through Canterbury, with more than 15,000 additional cows approved in just six months — a notable change after a period of slowdown.
Almost a third of NZ households face energy hardship – reform has to go beyond cheaper off-peak power
By Kimberley O'Sullivan, The Conversation
The spotlight is again on New Zealand’s energy sector, with a group of industry bodies and independent retailers pushing for a market overhaul, saying the sector was “broken” and “driving up the cost of living”.
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Labour mulls GIDI 2.0 as factory closures mount
Today 11:45am
By Pattrick Smellie | Factory closures across the country could have been prevented if the last Labour-led government’s GIDI fund to assist companies with the cost of electrification hadn't been scrapped, Labour energy spokesperson, Megan Woods, says.
Dairy farmers' lack of climate action 'even bleaker' than water inaction – Upton
Today 11:45am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Government projections for cutting agricultural emissions are being undermined by low farmer uptake, with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment warning the country is relying on “heroic” assumptions to meet its methane targets.
‘Even more bonkers now’ – energy expert on LNG terminal
Today 11:45am
By Liz Kivi | An energy consultant says the Government’s plan to back an LNG import facility is a “non-starter” in the face of rising gas prices due to the Middle East conflict.
Lawyers complain to ombudsman over Govt failure to release LNG modelling
Today 11:45am
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action has made a formal complaint to the Ombudsman over the Government’s failure to release information about its controversial decision to build a LNG import terminal.
Businesses look for ways to cut costs in response to oil shock
Today 11:45am
New Zealand’s small and medium-sized businesses are looking for ways to ease the pressure as global tensions see rising fossil fuel prices and diminishing supply, with decision-makers mulling measures including work-from-home polices and transport or logistics changes.
NZ's opportunity: low carbon, secure energy, high growth
Tue 31 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The New Zealand economy could more than double in size by 2050 by pursuing secure, affordable electricity using local renewable and low-carbon sources and allowing the Emissions Trading Scheme to work properly, says a major new report.
Fuel shock pushes buyers back toward EVs
Tue 31 Mar 2026
Surging fuel prices are pushing some New Zealand buyers back toward electric vehicles and hybrids, as households respond to the oil shock by trying to cut their exposure to petrol.
FMA to ease conditions for green bond issues
Tue 31 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Green, social and sustainability-linked bonds will face lower disclosure requirements and regulatory costs under a class exemption newly granted by the Financial Markets Authority.
Wellington planting nears one million trees
Mon 30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Greater Wellington’s parks restoration programme will hit one million native trees this year, with the first dams to rewet peat wetlands in Queen Elizabeth Park now completed after a years-long effort to bring these ecosystems – and their carbon sequestering superpowers – back to life.
NZ First targets regional share of mining royalties
Mon 30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand First has proposed returning 50% of mining royalties to regional communities, saying that too much of the value from resource extraction is currently flowing to Wellington.
