Environment – Aotea Green

Hundreds of thousands of plastic pellets — known as nurdles — have washed up on beaches across the Hauraki Gulf, including Oneroa Beach on Waiheke Island and the northern shore of Motuihe. The pellets are used in the manufacture of…

A new proposal could make Kawau Island the most chemically saturated inhabited island in New Zealand history. From June 2025 to April 2027, Auckland Council, with backing from DOC, Predator Free 2050 Ltd, and the Manuhiri Kaitiaki Charitable Trust, is…

Patches of the invasive seaweed Exotic Caulerpa have been discovered at three locations off the northeast coast of Little Barrier Island, prompting a rapid response from local biosecurity and iwi groups. The seaweed, which includes the species Caulerpa brachypus and…

By Susan Botting, Local Democracy Reporter, NZME

Photo / Sid Ware / Ministry for Primary Industries

Photo / Angus Dreaver / RNZ The Government will reverse its ban on oil and gas exploration, Minister for Resources Shane Jones has confirmed. Jones said New Zealand’s natural gas reserves were declining and sustainable sources like wind, solar and…