September 17th, 2024
The Green Party's Environment spokesperson, Lan Pham, expressed strong opposition to the government's recent actions regarding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs), describing it as a major setback for New Zealand's indigenous wildlife conservation efforts.
According to Pham, suspending the identification of SNAs and jeopardising existing protections threatens the survival of the country's unique flora and fauna.
The big picture: A threat to native habitats
Pham highlighted the importance of SNAs in preserving critical native habitats and acting as sanctuaries for rare and threatened indigenous plants and species. The cessation of SNA identification, she argues, signals a disregard for the country's environmental responsibilities and its future biodiversity.
"Significant Natural Areas (SNA) represent some of the most crucial pockets of our native habitat and act as a sanctuary for our most rare and threatened indigenous plants and species. Suspending the identification of SNAs and jeopardising existing ones condemns our flora and fauna to a future of continued decline and degradation," Pham said.
Zoom in: Political gains over environmental protection
The Green Party accuses the government of leveraging fear surrounding SNAs for political advantage, undermining years of progress in native wildlife protection. Pham criticises the government's approach as short-sighted and detrimental to the enjoyment of New Zealand's natural world by future generations.
What they're saying: Ignoring indigenous biodiversity
The National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (NPSIB) was established to guide the identification of SNAs, incorporating perspectives from tangata whenua and ensuring the rangatiratanga of Whenua Māori landowners was respected. The government's current stance is seen as a regression from these principles, threatening the very essence of New Zealand's unique natural environment.
Why it matters: The loss of natural identity
With sixty-three percent of New Zealand's native ecosystems under threat and a third of native species at risk of extinction, Pham questions the government's timing in rolling back environmental protections. She emphasises the need to support conservation efforts and community engagement in preserving the country's biodiversity. "A deterioration of our indigenous biodiversity would equate to a deterioration of our very identity," Pham warns.
The bottom line: A call to action for nature's future
Lan Pham's statement concludes with a commitment from the Green Party to continue advocating for nature and the thriving of wildlife in New Zealand. She calls for a collective effort to ensure the sustainability of the country's natural heritage, challenging the government's recent policy direction.