The Green Party says the Government is bringing in the bulldozers to rip up New Zealand's precious landscapes by making it easier to privatise public conservation land.
"This Government has made it clear that when forced to choose between the interests of industry or the interests of the law, the public, and the environment, it will always choose the bulldozer," says Green Party Co-leader and spokesperson for conservation Marama Davidson.
"Conservation land will be able to be sold off to mining companies and developers to make a quick buck under the changes announced today."
"Over half of New Zealand conservation land will be eligible for land exchange and disposal under the new settings. This is a betrayal for future generations who will no longer have access to these significant environments."
"This is a Government that talks up our love of the outdoors while quietly handing the keys to anyone with a chequebook and a chainsaw."
"Under, the changes to the Conservation Act we will see less protection, less oversight, less land safe for the species and ecosystems that depend on it."
"This is all happening while our native species are already threatened or at risk of extinction."
"Our native taonga should be treasured. They connect us to our whenua and whakapapa, and form a critical component of our national identity."
"When nature is only valued for its economic benefit, the outcome is inevitable: destruction."
