Plastic is a global scourge. Every part of our environment is affected by it. Once here it never goes away. Ever. We have a huge problem on our hands to deal with the plastic that exists already. Our sea life is suffering and so, indirectly, are we. New Zealand is the 10th worst wasteful country in the world. 41,000 tonnes of plastic was shipped overseas in 2017 for other people to deal with; much of it was burnt illegally, causing serious health issues to local people. 8 out of 9 commercially fished fish have ingested plastic. 2 out of 3 NZ turtles found dead, had plastic inside them. (Facts sourced from Greenpeace NZ)

Chemical Nitrogen fertiliser props up industrial dairying. It is used to grow too much grass for too many cows, polluting our rivers and warming the climate. But we don’t need it. There is a better way to farm and New Zealand can lead the world in practising it. Together, we can move towards regenerative farming. A way of farming that works with nature, not against it. But to do that, we need to get rid of the enablers of the old, destructive system. We need to ban chemical nitrogen fertiliser.

With increasing development in Brightwater, the intersections between SH6 and Lord Rutherford North and South are being more heavily used. The current 100km speed limit significantly increases the risk of accidents and injury at these intersections. It can be difficult to judge the speed of oncoming vehicles, which can result in risky maneuvers on to SH6 or delays at intersections as people are hesitant to move into fast moving traffic. An extension of the 80km per hour speed limit south to Spring Grove is a small change that can be done now to help improve safety and prevent potential accidents.

The future of the Mackenzie Basin rests on the shoulders of the tiny, but powerful Mackenzie District Council. The Mackenzie is world-renowned for its iconic landscape, turquoise lakes, and snow-capped mountains. It is home to critically endangered native species in urgent need of protection. Industrial dairying has become so extreme and out of control that it is even trying to expand into this fragile place. Right now, there are plans to create a new mega dairy farm on the southern shores of Lake Pūkaki near Aoraki/Mount Cook. The Council have the power to deny resource consents for this and all other dairy conversions in the Mackenzie. We, the undersigned, call on them to stand up against industrial dairying and save the Mackenzie.

I oppose Mainland Poultry's application to build a mega egg factory farm in Orini, Waikato because it will have a detrimental impact on the local community, the environment and animal welfare. I want the Waikato District Council to decline Mainland Poultry's application for the following reasons: - Odour impact - this factory farm will stink - Visual impact - this factory farm will be a visual eyesore - Traffic impact - this factory farm will vastly increase heavy traffic in the area - Flooding impact - this factory farm will be built in a flood prone area - Water Capacity - this factory farm will be a massive drain on the local water source - Animal welfare - this factory farm will confine 400,000 hens to cruel conditions - Noise impact - this factory farm will have a negative noise impact on the local community - Waste disposal - this factory farm will create tonnes of waste, dead hens and manure - Dust management - this factory farm will create considerable dust pollution - Storm water - this factory farm will put massive pressure on the local storm water infrastructure - Amenity/character - this factory farm will ruin Orini's beautiful valley and pastoral environment - Lack of inclusion of public in notification process - this factory farm is of national significance and it should have been publicly notified

Auckland Council wants to lift part of the Reserve status for Saunders Reserve, 26, Saunders Place, Rosebank, Avondale. Saunders Reserve is the only Reserve in Avondale with mature established bush, adjacent to the Whau River. The Reserve Act 1977 gives stronger protection for generations to come than the Local Government Act 2002. Council proposes revoking Reserve status to legitimise commercial activity being undertaken by Westend Rowing Club who currently leases part of the Reserve. Also part of the club’s building extends onto the Esplanade Reserve area, which is not tolerated by the Reserves Act. Avondale is critically short on publicly accessible park space. Saunders Reserve will be the “jewel in the crown” for a future walkway around the Rosebank Peninsula. Future proof this Reserve for you, your whanau and generations to come. This could set a precedent. Auckland Council needs to know the people of Auckland do not want the status of more Reserves downgraded, leased to private groups for commercial gain and in some cases sold off. Reserves for the people not commercial gain

Presence of glyphosate know as Roundup, in our food chain is now considerable in New Zealand/Aotearoa. We are indirectly eating this poison. The EPA (Environment Protection Agency) 2015/16 Survey showed nearly half of the wheat tested for glyphosate residue, 26 out of 60 samples, contained glyphosate! Many doctors now agree that there is a strong correlation between glyphosate use and the exponential rise in health complications and diseases such as: Autism, Alzheimer's disease, ADHD, Anencephaly (birth defect), Birth defects, Brain cancer, Celiac disease and gluten intolerance, Depression and Diabetes to name a few! There is now a lot of peer reviewed scientific literature examining the detrimental health effects of glyphosate consumption. A Pioneer in this field is Dr. Stefanie Seneff, you can find a lot of interviews with her online, this one is a must watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6j0wIhUr1M and prompted motivation to start this campaign.

The Runit Dome, aka "Cactus Dome" or locally "The Tomb", is a 46 cm thick dome of concrete at sea level, encapsulating an estimated 73,000 m3 of radioactive debris, including some plutonium-239. The debris stems from nuclear tests conducted in the Enewetak Atoll by the United States between 1946 and 1958. From 1977 to 1980, loose waste and top soil debris scraped off from six different islands in the Enewetak Atoll was transported here, mixed with concrete and stored in the nuclear blast crater of the "Cactus" test from May 6 1958. 4,000 US servicemen were involved in the cleanup and it took three years to complete. The waste-filled crater was finally entombed in concrete. In 1982, a US government task force raised concern about a probable breach if a severe typhoon were to hit the island. In 2013, a report by the US Department of Energy found that the concrete dome had weathered with minor cracking of the structure. Leaking and breaching of the dome, which is inevitable due to rising sea levels, could disperse plutonium, a radioactive element that is also a very toxic heavy metal. This would be enough to contaminate the entire Pacific Ocean. The cleaning operation in the 1970s only removed an estimated 0.8 percent of the total transuranic waste in the Enewetak atoll.One particular concern is that, in order to save costs, the original plan to line the porous bottom crater with concrete was abandoned. Since the bottom of the crater consists of permeable soil, seawater is inside the dome.

At a time when we know we cannot burn most of the fossil fuels already discovered, let alone explore for more if we are to retain a liveable climate for our kids, New Zealand Oil & Gas intend to explore for deep-sea oil and gas in the Clipper and Toroa Permits (PEP52717 and PEP 55794) off our coast. We are proud of the progress Dunedin is making towards a fairer, low emissions future. Warm safe housing is an essential part of that future and we love the work of the Cosy Homes Trust, bringing warm, healthy homes to our city and region. But NZOG has no part in that future. It is ironic that those most likely to be affected by climate change, for example in low lying South Dunedin, are those most in need of assistance from the Cosy Homes Trust, which has been partly funded by NZOG, a company that is exacerbating climate change. Accepting funding from NZOG allows them to try to improve their image and continue their destructive practices, which must end. We thank the Trustees Gillian Bremner, Jeff Donaldson, Dr. Marion Poore, Chris Rosenbrock and Scott MacLean for the important work they do in our community and sincerely ask that at the next Trust board meeting on 26 September they vote to end their association with NZOG.

By 2050 Almost every seabird on the planet will be suffering because of it, Earth's most precious and incredible life support system is choking right now because of it and yet massive corporations continue to dump the equivalent of a truckload of it into our Ocean every minute! I deeply care about the protection of our Marine Life and preservation of our planets most important life support system The devastating impact of discarded plastic packaging has now reached every corner of the world's oceans. The tide of plastic bottles and bags continues to roll in yet the shores it has to wash up on are fast depleting and sea creatures like turtles and seabirds are been forced to ingest this senseless waste. It makes sense to demand that those corporations responsible invest in sustainable packaging solutions. If we don't do our best to give our planets health the protection it deserves...who will ?

Waikato Regional Council has failed to use its power under the Resource Management Act and has allowed Matamata Metal Supplies to operate un-consented for the past 5 years and in a manner not consistent with modern standards over decades. As tangata whenua and kaitiaki of the area our role is to protect and preserve the essence of our awa, maunga, waahi tapu and whenua. When the essence of these taonga are compromised this impacts the spiritual and cultural well-being of our people. Our stories, traditions and identity stem from the relationship we have with the land and are at risk of being lost forever. It is important to close down the Matamata Metal Supplies Quarry Operation and restore the quarry area. People should care because Matamata Metal Supplies Operation of the quarry has been below the modern standard of environmental practice and water protection and is one of many operating in the areas. As people who live in the environmental shadow of the quarry operations we are the first and worst affected and the environmental impact of the quarry effects water quality stretching to the Firth of Thames. Let’s Give a Voice for our sacred mountain and river and start enforcing stricter regulations and controls to protect the Waikato.

Many kiwi are being caught in possum leg-hold traps. At the moment anyone can walk into a shop and buy possum leg-hold traps. These traps should be set 70cm off the ground because we have many flightless and ground dwelling birds in Aotearoa, however because anyone can so easily buy them without even knowing the rules or recommendations, many people set them on the ground and catch kiwi. Many of these kiwi end up suffering massive trauma to the leg, and have to be killed. These traps are often found set on the ground in forests and along the sides of tracks and roads, but there is no easy way to find out who owns them. Recently someone we know stopped on the side of the road and there was a big female kiwi in a leg hold trap that was set on the ground. The owner of the traps was never found. Last year over 20 traps were found in a kiwi sanctuary set on the ground. Some still had dead possums in them. If all traps were branded with a number and registered to the trapper this illegal activity would stop.