NZ First promises $1 billion for offshore oil and gas
Mon 20 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi
New Zealand First wants to “drill baby drill,” and has made an election campaign promise of $1 billion to survey New Zealand’s offshore basins to extract oil and gas, in an announcement at the party’s campaign launch on Sunday.
Story copyright © Carbon News 2026
Resource management Bills 'not yet ready to be enacted', says Upton
Today 11:30am
By Oli Lewis | The two Bills to replace the Resource Management Act are not ready to be enacted and there is no way of knowing how they will affect the environment, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says.
'Shocking' changes to RMA replacement further weakens environmental protections –EDS
Tue 21 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The select committee's report back on bills to replace the Resource Management Act fails to address the Environmental Defence Society's "massive concerns" with the legislation.
NZ First’s oil and gas plan ‘doesn’t stack up’ – professor
Tue 21 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | NZ First’s plan to invest $1 billion in offshore oil and gas exploration doesn’t make economic sense, says Auckland University emeritus professor and energy economics expert Basil Sharp.
NZ’s complex problems require visionary solutions, not quick fixes. Here’s how we can govern for the future
Mon 20 Jul 2026
By Jonathan Boston, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington As New Zealand heads toward another general election, political attention is naturally focused on the issues touching people’s lives right now.
New legislation to bar climate torts proves polarising for submitters
Fri 17 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Opponents of legislation to block climate lawsuits say it could seriously damage investor confidence, while supporters of the same legislation argue that not passing it could be “devastating” for the New Zealand economy.
Climate adaptation plans welcomed, but funding remains the missing piece
Fri 17 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | Experts are welcoming a proposal to make climate adaptation planning mandatory, but warn the plans may be ineffective without clarity around who will pay to implement them.
Conservation bill could put development ahead of protection, commissioner warns
Fri 17 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton says the proposed law changes could give economic development greater weight than conservation, undermining the purpose of the Conservation Act.
Government running out of time to lock in LNG import terminal deal before election
Thu 16 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | Procurement for a floating LNG import terminal in Taranaki is well advanced, the Government says, but the clock is ticking to sign contracts before the election.
Climate law introduced requiring adaptation plans and reducing Commission's role
15 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government has introduced legislation to amend the Climate Change Response Act (CCRA), which includes stripping the Climate Change Commission of one of its core roles, adds a new requirement for councils to produce adaptation plans for higher-risk areas, and updates ETS settings.
