It's a trap!

The Green Party and the Government have announced a pilot pest-control package they hope will reduce reliance on poisons and save money.

The project is part of the memorandum of understanding signed by the National and Green parties last year.
With $4 million of new money allocated to the pilot, 10,000 new traps will be bought and tested in two sites.
The self-resetting traps can kill up to 12 pests without any poison being required.
Green co-leader Russel Norman says the project could bring significant economic and environmental benefits.

I hope this is a tangible sign of a withdrawl from our reliance on 1080 for possum control.
The Greens are picking their MOE's with National very carefully - home insulation, cycle trails and pest management.
Clever strategy, worthwhile projects.

Glass half-full (of what?)

“How many warnings does this Government need before they take action to set enforceable water quality standards? I urge the Minister to adopt the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management that is currently lying on his desk.”

The Green's Russel Norman puts the heat on the Government for what he calls, 'what we already know', “Intensive dairy farming, as well as inadequate sewage treatment, is responsible for the deterioration of our rivers, streams and lakes, the common heritage of all New Zealanders."

The due-out-soon Environment Southland report on water quality in our region is hardly likely to say anything other than, 'what we already know'. Nevertheless, we await the report optimistically, after all, they do say you can't manage what you haven't measured.