AM Edition: Here are the top 10 politics articles on LiveNews.co.nz for June 29, 2026 – Full Text
1. Pacific fisheries ministers meet in Wellington
June 28, 2026
Source: New Zealand Government
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones will tomorrow welcome 16 Pacific Island fisheries ministers to Wellington for the Forum Fisheries Ministerial Committee this week.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/06/28/pacific-fisheries-ministers-meet-in-wellington-2/
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2. Thanks for your public transport feedback
June 26, 2026
Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Date: 25 Jun 2026
We’ve heard you loud and clear! 11,738 people and organisations gave feedback on Environment Canterbury’s Metro bus and ferry services across Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariri during the six-week consultation.
Public Transport Core Service Co-Lead Councillor Nettles Lamont is grateful to every single person who had their say.
“It’s clear you’re as passionate about public transport as we are! Your feedback helps build a better picture of what is needed from public transport, now and over the next decade.
“It will also support our advocacy with central government for co-funding of the improvements through the National Land Transport Fund,” Councillor Lamont said.
Strong feedback from across areas
Around three-quarters of responses came from people and organisations based in Christchurch City and the remainder were from Selwyn District (over 1,300) and Waimakariri District (over 900).
“That is an outstanding response across the city and districts. We would like to thank our partner councils for all their support in creating visibility of the survey and prompting it within their communities.
“A well-functioning public transport network isn’t just for the people on buses. It reduces congestion, supports growth and improves access to jobs, education and services for the whole region,” Councillor Lamont added.
Feedback to be analysed
The feedback, which is likely the most Environment Canterbury has ever received for a consultation, will now be analysed. It will help us identify gaps in our current network and inform public transport improvements across Greater Christchurch over the next decade (2027-2037). A final report on feedback is expected to be publicly available by the end of September.
The review does not include trains, light rail, fares, or requests for services outside of the current area served by the Greater Christchurch Metro network.
Community feedback will be used alongside technical information, like passenger data, population growth projections and modelling, to identify priorities for improving the network over the next 10 years. Environment Canterbury will then develop three options for improvement, each with a different pace and scale of change. Early next year, Greater Christchurch will have the chance to feedback on a preferred option when Environment Canterbury consults on the draft Long-Term Plan 2027-37. If approved, these proposals would also require central government funding before they could be implemented.
Decision to come for Routes 44 and 135 proposal
As part of this review, the council also sought feedback on a proposal to improve Route 44 Shirley/Westmorland and remove Route 135 New Brighton/The Palms, one of our lowest-performing routes. More than 1700 responses were received for this proposal. The findings and next steps will be presented at a Council briefing with a decision expected at the end of September 2026.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/06/26/thanks-for-your-public-transport-feedback/
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3. Public Speech at Lincoln University
June 25, 2026
Source: NZ Department of Conservation
Date: 25 June 2026
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa.
I’m delighted to be back here at Lincoln; you have a special place in my heart.
The last time I was here – back in November – I was part of a panel talking about what environmental management would look like in the next five years. Back then, I talked about how the environment had gone backwards in the 30 years since I did my Master’s in Resource Management.
I was advocating for a radical re-think of how we approach the way we manage the environment, and to make sure nature counts in decision making. Since then, I’ve doubled down on that view.
In the past five years as Director-General of Conservation, I’ve seen pressures on nature and the assets we manage become more relentless, more intertwined and more costly.
The Department of Conservation turns 40 years old next year – and I commissioned a piece of work to understand what the next 40 years will look like, and what’s needed to make a difference.
Over that time, DOC has done a lot of things right – we’ve intensively managed taonga species back from the brink and we’re a world leader in island eradications.
Take Campbell Island – two decades ago we boldly eradicated rats on an island six times bigger than any island attempted before – not only that but it was 700 kilometres south of the South Island, in wild, wet and windy conditions – a logistical nightmare.
But we did it, thanks to our can-do spirit, pioneering techniques and grunty determination. Where we focus our efforts, we get results.
Campbell Island today is stunning with fields of giant lilac megaherbs. The fields are dotted white and brown, with nests of southern royal albatross – and lounging sea lions.
But grunt will only get you so far. Our analysis shows the challenges facing conservation are growing faster than we can respond.
Nature is under increasing pressure from introduced predators – rats, stoats and feral cats – and invasive weeds like wilding pines, broom and gorse. We’re seeing more biosecurity threats – caulerpa is choking our sea floor and golden clams are clogging our riverbeds.
Wild animals – deer goats, tahr and chamois – are present at 80% of our monitored sites on public conservation land, up from 63% just a decade ago.
Climate change is compounding these pressures, and the cost of responding is rising faster than the resources available to meet them. We cannot rely on doing more of the same – we must make some hard choices.
Some sobering facts
Here are some sobering facts for you.
DOC manages one third of New Zealand’s land on a budget that’s about half of Christchurch City Council’s budget.
Our modelling shows DOC’s current biodiversity budget of around $360 million is not enough to hold the line on species and ecosystem protection.
My team says an extra $207 million a year is needed to prevent extinctions across the 900 threatened species and ecosystems that need urgent intervention.
Last year our modelling showed we needed an extra 150 million to hold the line – so the gap is widening.
And if we want to move from managing decline to enabling recovery, our modelling shows we need an extra 500-million a year.
That investment would target pests, weeds and biosecurity pressures and improve 5,600 key species and critical ecosystems.
This is modelling using DOC’s new BioInvest system and there are caveats on the data. But it shows the scale of the challenge we’re facing and why we need to look more broadly to draw in new sources of revenue and get sustainable levels of investment into conservation.
- We’ve doubled the amount of money we spend recovering from storms.
- Over the past five years we have spent about $10 million dollars a year on major storm events – Cyclone Gabrielle, Cyclone Dovi and heavy flooding in the Southern South Island.
- In any given year we also get one or two lesser events that cost about $3 million each time to recover from.
What were highly damaging but, thankfully rare, storms are happening far more frequently. In most cases we have to absorb those costs and defer other work to create space to fix the damage.
In terms of other climate change impacts
Last year DOC published an assessment of over a thousand terrestrial species1 including birds, bats, lizards, invertebrates, and vascular plants – against climate change impacts.
Our research found that about a third of the species will be highly vulnerable to climate change by mid-century, rising to almost two thirds by 2090.
Then if you look at the marine environment – New Zealand is a global hotspot for biodiversity because of its remoteness and size.
At least a third of our biodiversity is found at sea. But 87% of marine species could be highly vulnerable to climate change.
From an economic perspective – in 2017, the total value of the marine economy was estimated at $7 billion and it employed more than 30,000 people2
We need to do more to protect our oceans and coastlines.
Nature is not free
One of the biggest problems we’ve got as a country is that collectively, we act as though nature is free. It’s treated as a free backdrop to economic activity and recreation, rather than as critical infrastructure that underpins prosperity, resilience and wellbeing.
For decades we have relied on nature to absorb pressure, support livelihoods and provide resilience. The reality is that in terms of natural capital, we’re living well beyond our means and are racking up debts for future generations to pay.
We risk running down our natural capital and calling it growth. New Zealanders like to think of ourselves as people who love nature. We call ourselves kiwis, we market ourselves to international tourists as clean and green and 100% pure.
So many of our main agricultural producers use images of conservation land – our national parks, rivers, and coastlines – to sell their products. But affection is not the same thing as valuing something properly.
We’ve crunched the numbers and more than 80% of New Zealanders — and over half of international visitors — visit protected natural areas each year. Conservation tourism contributes around $5.4 billion annually3 and demand remains high.
Nature gives us clean air, fresh water, good quality soils. Public conservation land provides these ecosystem services to the tune of about $11 billion per year.4
Despite all this, nature does not feature prominently in national priorities and investment decisions. We are better at praising nature than valuing it, planning for it, or protecting it. We must factor nature into decisions that shape growth, investment and land use.
Our insurance industry for example understands a simple truth: if risk is real, it has to be priced, planned for, and reduced — not just cleaned up afterwards. Resilience is cheaper than repeated recovery.
How do we begin to get the shift we need?
To move to a future state where nature is recovering, heritage is protected, and effort is sustained we need to do three things.
- First, we must protect the expertise and core capability within DOC, the Government’s lead on conservation,
- We must grow conservation well beyond DOC,
- And we need to change the wider system that shapes the extent to which nature can thrive in Aotearoa.
There will always be a need for what DOC does well – the Crown will always have responsibilities that cannot be handed away, for example, the role of protecting and advocating for public conservation land for future generations.
Our role also includes public safety, regulatory functions, and specialist expertise.
We must protect and strengthen field expertise, science, heritage knowledge and the ability to make difficult decisions under pressure. I’m talking about things like bird banding, skills to translocate birds, how to repair a heritage brick wall, how to assess tree felling, and to build swing bridges.
Those capabilities are hard to rebuild if we lose them — so they matter.
Lincoln also has a role to play here – you help us grow the next generation of land managers and spark the passion for conservation. And I’m really proud of the MOU we’ve just signed. This will foster collaboration between Lincoln and DOC over the use of data and digital tools, plus we’re aiming to strengthen pathways between study, applied research and future employment in the conservation system.
This will go a long way towards valuing a career in conservation management and helping us retain the skills and boost the capability we need heading into the future.
The second shift we need is growing ownership of conservation. I believe DOC matters – but DOC is not enough. Conservation already depends on iwi, communities, landowners, councils, businesses, and others.
At the centre of that is the critical role of Māori — as tangata whenua, as kaitiaki, and as long-standing partners in conservation. Many of our most significant conservation gains are built on iwi-led and iwi-partnered approaches, grounded in deep place-based knowledge and intergenerational stewardship.
If conservation is to grow, it will do so with Māori — not alongside, but together.
The question now is whether this wider effort can grow in a way that is consistent, supported, and able to last. And ensuring that DOC is ready to be a powerful partner to those efforts.
We’re already seeing what this looks like at scale. In the Raukūmara and through initiatives like Kotahitanga mot e Taiao, iwi and partners are leading coordinated, landscape-scale conservation. These efforts bring multiple groups together around shared outcomes — and they are delivering real results. This is the model for growing conservation beyond DOC.
Building on these examples means clearer roles, stronger partnerships, and better systems that make it easier for others to act with confidence.
Third — and most importantly over time — we need to change the wider system that shapes the extent to which nature can thrive in Aotearoa
Many of the pressures on nature are coming from decisions made outside of the conservation system. They come from decisions about land use, infrastructure, investment, and development.
We already know a great deal about what drives nature decline, what happens when action is delayed, and which approaches and resources make a difference. But we are yet to gain traction on the changes needed to ensure this is reflected in decisions.
If those decisions don’t account for the values of nature upfront, we’ll keep mopping up after the fact, once damage has already occurred.
One of the main battles for nature is before any conservation dollars are spent – in the choices that shape land use, investment and infrastructure. Part of the answer here will be new financial tools to expand how we pay for the cost of protecting and restoring nature.
I’m talking about mechanisms like bonds, co-investment models, natural infrastructure funding, carbon markets and biodiversity credits.
To realise these opportunities, we need robust and visible accounting of everything that nature does for us, as well as the opportunities and risks that creates. And we need the reporting, audit and monitoring that goes with that.
This isn’t about commodifying nature, it’s about giving it a voice in the language that decisions are made in.
It is now urgent to gain traction on these system changes so that nature’s value is reflected in decision-making and investment. This requires a whole-of-New Zealand shift — across government, iwi/Māori, the private sector and communities. DOC can and is supporting and helping to shape this, but we can’t deliver it on our own.
DOC has invested in comprehensive analysis of the ecosystem services provided by conservation land, is advising on the design of a voluntary nature credits system, contributing to development of nature-related financial disclosures and a national Natural Infrastructure Plan, and exploring instruments such as green bonds.
Canada is leading the way. Their Nature Strategy is so inspirational – they’re expanding the amount of protection across land, sea and freshwater systems – connecting habitats so species can move more safely. They’re focused on building Canada well and designing infrastructure that works with nature instead of against it. And they’re using finance tools to create capital to fund conservation in a sustainable long-term way.
Other leading jurisdictions are moving in similar directions: Costa Rica, a much less wealthy country than our own, is one of the clearest examples of a country that deliberately stopped treating nature as valueless.
- Through its national Payment for Environmental Services programme, landowners are paid for carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection, water regulation and scenic protection, shifting nature from an unpriced constraint to a recognised asset.
I believe that future prosperity will favour countries that learn to value nature properly.
Lincoln’s programmes strongly emphasise sustainability, ecological systems, restoration, and human–environment interactions.
Your Natural Resource Management and environmental degrees are exactly the disciplinary base used for nature-based solutions work (e.g. catchment restoration, ecosystem-based adaptation, biodiversity finance, etc.).
This thinking is needed more than ever the shift the system to meet current and future challenges.
Conclusion
We have got to stop taking nature for granted. What we don’t value, we will keep losing.
Across Aotearoa New Zealand, people already care about nature.
They already act for it, in many different ways.
The task now is to build a system that can hold and grow that effort, and make a difference at a national level.
To protect what matters most, support others to lead, and to make sure nature is considered early — in the decisions that shape our future.
The challenge ahead is not choosing between these shifts, but balancing our effort across all three.
Together, they are what will build a more resilient conservation system, capable of meeting the pressures we face now and those still to come.
That is what it will take for nature to thrive.
Ngā mihi.
Related links
Contact
For media enquiries contact:
Email: media@doc.govt.nz
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/06/25/public-speech-at-lincoln-university/
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4. Conservation Amendment Bill needs to start again
June 25, 2026
Source: Green Party
The Green Party says Conservation Minister Tama Potaka’s decision to drop the disposal and exchange clauses from his Conservation Amendment Bill shows public pressure is working, but the whole Bill needs to be pulled and the reform started again.
“This is a backdown forced by tens of thousands of New Zealanders who refused to let their wild places be put on the market. The Minister has finally heard them, but removing these clauses does not fix a Bill that was built to serve developers instead of nature,” says Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson.
“This Bill still rewrites the purpose of the Conservation Act so commercial development comes first and nature comes second. Removing these clauses does not change what this reform was designed to do.”
“You cannot fix a Bill written for developers by trimming the worst bits and hoping no one notices. The honest thing to do is stop, pull the whole Bill, and start again with a process that puts protecting nature for future generations at its heart.”
“Our public conservation land is not the Government’s to sell, carve up, or quietly hand to commercial interests. The Green Party will keep fighting until this Bill is gone and the reform is started again properly, giving effect to Te Tiriti and putting indigenous-led stewardship at the centre,” says Davidson.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/06/25/conservation-amendment-bill-needs-to-start-again/
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5. Rural Health – Gumboot Friday records busiest month of 2026 so far, supporting 2,213 young Kiwis in May
June 26, 2026
In May 2026, 2,213 young people aged 5–25 accessed free counselling through Gumboot Friday — the highest monthly total recorded so far this year — with 3,578 sessions delivered nationwide.
Sessions are free, no referral is required, and young people choose the counsellor they want to talk to from Gumboot Friday’s registered network of counsellors.
Breakdown by age group:
• 640 young people aged 5–11 (28.9%)
• 608 young people aged 12–17 (27.5%)
• 965 young people aged 18–25 (43.6%)
May’s figures show demand at its highest point this year, but they also show the system working: young people reaching out, appointments being made, and support getting to them.
“May was our busiest month of the year so far, and that tells us two things. The need is real, and the door has to stay open. When 2,213 young people come through in one month, you don’t get to look away or slow down. You make sure the help is there,” says I Am Hope founder Mike King.
“What matters to me is that these kids didn’t have to wait until everything fell apart before they could talk to someone. They didn’t need a referral, they didn’t need money, and they didn’t need to prove they were struggling enough. They put their hand up, chose a counsellor, and got started. That’s what meeting demand looks like — removing the excuses and getting help in front of them,” King says.
Government support helps pay for the counselling sessions, while community backing helps keep the rest of the work going — the platform, the counsellor network, the team behind it, and I Am Hope’s early-intervention work in schools and communities.
With May now the busiest month of the year so far, that support matters more than ever. Every donation, fundraiser, shared post and gumboot sold helps keep young people connected to free counselling when they need it.
If you or someone you know is 25 or under and needs someone to talk to, visit www.gumbootfriday.org.nz to book a free counsellor today — no referral needed.
To donate, fundraise, or get involved with I Am Hope, head to www.iamhope.org.nz or text HOPE to 469 for a $3 donation.
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6. Advocacy – Gaza Cannot Wait: A Call for Justice and Accountability
June 26, 2026
Statement by Palestine Forum of New Zealand
The Palestine Forum of New Zealand expresses its profound alarm at the latest documentation by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, which details the continuing humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. The report presents further evidence of the systematic destruction of civilian life, infrastructure, and the conditions necessary for survival.
These are not isolated incidents. They form part of a sustained pattern of conduct that demands urgent international attention, accountability, and action in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law.
We call on the New Zealand Government to uphold its longstanding commitment to human rights by:
- Demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
- Supporting unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza.
- Holding perpetrators of violations of international law accountable.
- Working alongside the international community to ensure justice for the Palestinian people.
Silence in the face of documented atrocities is not neutrality, it is complicity.
The Palestine Forum of New Zealand stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and reaffirms its commitment to advocating for justice, accountability, freedom, and a future founded on equality, dignity, and lasting peace.
Palestine Forum of New Zealand
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7. NZ Economy: No Strait answers says BusinessNZ
June 25, 2026
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8. Paddles up! Hong Kong marks 50 Years of international dragon boat thrills
June 26, 2026
Source: Media Outreach
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 June 2026 – With top teams from around the world gearing up for the hotly contested Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races this weekend (June 27-28), participants and spectators can expect a bumper programme of action, fun and entertainment along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui – one of the city’s most vibrant districts known for its iconic skyline views and tourist attractions.
There is much to celebrate. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races as well as 35th anniversary of both the co-organiser, Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association, and the sanctioning body, International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF). The IDBF added to the occasion by announcing earlier this year the relocation of its headquarters back to Hong Kong.
Riding on the wave of excitement, the organiser, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), extended the annual Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival period to 13 days (June 19 – July 1), beginning on the historic Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) and concluding on July 1, which is the 29th anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
As the headline international flagship event of “Hong Kong Summer Fun”, Dr Peter Lam, Chairman of the HKTB, said the Festival not only ran over a longer period, but also featured a stronger race line-up and more vibrant entertainment programmes than in previous years, offering an experience found only in Hong Kong for locals and visitors, while showcasing Hong Kong’s position as the Events Capital of Asia.
More than 220 teams from 16 countries and regions will compete for top honours in the world‑renowned setting of Victoria Harbour. This year’s event also introduces the special 50th Anniversary Fishermen Invitational Cup and the 50th Anniversary Championship, paying tribute to the traditional spirit of dragon boat racing.
Visitors will be able to enjoy a series of thematic activities along the Avenue of Stars, including a 22-metre traditional wooden dragon boat, a dragon boat-themed installation in collaboration with the new film Minions & Monsters, live music performances and a line-up of intangible cultural heritage performances, including martial art Wing Chun, Chinese juggling diabolo, traditional musical instruments ruan and guzheng.
Visitors can enjoy a series of thematic activities at the “Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival” which runs until July 1.
Highlighting Hong Kong’s reputation as the birthplace of modern international dragon boat racing, as well as its strengths as a global hub city, the IDBF has taken a significant step in its long‑term global strategy with the formal incorporation of International Dragon Boat Federation Limited in Hong Kong on 29 April 2026.
“Incorporation in Hong Kong is not a conclusion, but a beginning. It anchors our Federation in the city where our international story started and strengthens our ability to serve our members and the global dragon boat family,” said Claudio Schermi, President of the IDBF.
As part of this new chapter, the IDBF has applied for funding under “the Pilot Scheme to Strengthen the Presence of Hong Kong in Asian and International Sports Associations”, which was recently introduced by the HKSAR Government’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. The Pilot Scheme is an initiative designed to support Asian and international sports associations establishing their headquarters or regional headquarters in the city.
The Dragon Boat Festival has a long and colourful history dating back more than two thousand years. Held each year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the day commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
According to legend, Qu committed suicide for his beliefs by throwing himself into the Luo River. The villagers nearby raced out on their dragon boats, banging gongs and drums to scare away fish and other underwater creatures to stop them from eating Qu’s body. The tradition continues to this day, with dragon boat competitions taking place at locations across Hong Kong, each reflecting the unique characteristics of its neighbourhood.
Traditional dragon boat treats feature prominently during the festival, notably zongzi. These glutinous rice dumplings, traditionally wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed or boiled, are widely available during the festive period.
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