Photo via Flickr. Credit Dannie Armstrong (all rights reserved).
Make your vote count for conservation in this year's local elections, By Scott Burnett
Forest & Bird magazine
A version of this story was first published in the Winter 2025 issue of Forest & Bird magazine.
Imagine the scene in a council chamber near you. Councillors are debating whether to allow a housing subdivision on land near a major river where native bats are known to forage.
The conversation revolves around how to “balance” the rights of the developer with the need to protect the city’s critically endangered pekapeka-tou-roa longtailed bat population.
From nature’s perspective, the notion of “balance” in decision-making often translates into a managed decline for an already fragile native species.
In this case, based on a real life example, the council didn’t have a strategic plan to protect the bats’ habitats or flying routes. New developments, such as subdivisions and roads, had already cut off their access routes to half the city.
The councillors decided to allow the housing to be built with conditions to protect the local bat population and ensure they could access the river. It was a win for the bats.
This kind of dynamic plays out constantly in local government decision-making. Every month, councillors are making crucial decisions that can make or break local nature protection efforts.
The coalition government is pursuing a war on nature, and councils are on the frontline. It’s their job to interpret national environmental legislation and policies, and implement them.
On any given week, councillors can be taking a number of important decisions such as:
- Approving, declining, or amending economic developments. This might include making choices on resource consents for housing subdivisions that carve up native habitats, infrastructure projects that may destroy vital ecosystems like wetlands or forests, and activities impacting the health and flow of our rivers, streams, and groundwater.
- Developing long-term spatial plans. These dictate where housing and infrastructure should go, aiming to contain urban sprawl, protect highly productive land and sensitive natural areas, and manage land use activities to prevent downstream environmental harm like sedimentation choking waterways.
- Protecting native wildlife and habitats. Identifying and safeguarding important areas for native plants and animals, for example Significant Natural Areas, and determining the level of protection required to ensure their survival and prevent further loss, particularly for threatened species.
- Managing parks and reserves. Overseeing green spaces, deciding on the balance between recreation and conservation values, funding efforts for crucial pest and weed control, and supporting vital community-led restoration projects.
- Coastal stewardship. Developing rules and making decisions about development pressures, public access needs, and environmental protection requirements along our precious coastlines and within our harbours and estuaries.
Councils are facing tight budgets, and councillors may be tempted to trade environmental protection for cost savings or short-term economic gains.
But a healthy, functioning environment is not a luxury item to be afforded only in good times. It is the fundamental bedrock upon which our economy and society depend.
Clean water, breathable air, fertile soil, natural flood protection from wetlands and forests, pollination services, climate regulation, and sustainable resources are essential services that underpin all human wellbeing and prosperity.
When council decisions allow the degradation of these systems – approving developments that destroy critical habitats, permitting activities that pollute waterways, or failing to invest in pest control and restoration – they are not saving costs in the long run.
They are actively undermining our future resilience and prosperity, accumulating environmental debt that will inevitably lead to far greater economic and social costs down the line, from infrastructure damage due to flooding to loss of productive land and compromised public health.
Focusing solely on immediate balance sheets while nature unravels is futile – true lasting prosperity requires putting nature first. This is why every vote matters this October, when New Zealanders will go to the polls for local government elections.
Scott Burnett is Forest & Bird’s regional conservation manager for the top of the South Island.
YOUR VOICE YOUR VOTE
The councillors elected to our city, district, and regional councils in 2025 will hold power over the future of our local natural environments for the next three years.
We need elected members who understand that true sustainability prioritises ecological health. Nature is not another local stakeholder to be “balanced” – it is the non-negotiable foundation of a thriving resilient economy and vibrant community.
Councillors should take a “precautionary approach” when taking decisions involving areas of high biodiversity and natural values. The environmental hierarchy (avoid, remedy, mitigate, offset) must be rigorously applied. Mitigation and offsets are poor substitutes for native habitats lost forever.
Decisions cannot be made in isolation. What happens in catchments affects the coast, land use impacts freshwater, and urban expansion impacts biodiversity. Councils need councillors who see the whole ecological picture and understand the importance of Ki Uta Ki Tai integrated habitat management.
As Forest & Bird members and supporters, we must be active participants in these vitally important elections. Here’s how you can help:
- LEARN ABOUT YOUR CANDIDATES. Find out who is standing for your local and regional councils and mayoralty. Attend “meet the candidate” events online or in person. Read their policy statements.
- ASK THE TOUGH QUESTIONS. Don’t let candidates get away with vague promises of “balance” or solely focusing on rates. Ask them specifically:
- “How will you ensure decisions are made with a strong emissions reduction and climate adaptation lens, even if it means saying no to some development?”
- “Will you champion stronger rules in our District/ Regional Plans to actively protect and restore habitats and water quality?”
- “How will you ensure that long-term environmental sustainability, which underpins our economy, is prioritised over short-term economic convenience in council decision-making?”
- “What specific actions will you take to address the cumulative negative effects of human activities on our environment?”
- “Do you commit to upholding the principle of avoiding adverse effects on significant biodiversity?”
- VOTE FOR NATURE’S CHAMPIONS. Cast your vote for candidates who demonstrate a clear understanding of ecological principles and a strong commitment to prioritising genuine environmental protection and restoration over compromise. Look for evidence of their past actions or clear, decisive current policy positions.
- STAND FOR COUNCIL OR SUPPORT AN ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION. If you have the passion and capacity, consider standing for election to be a strong voice for nature inside council chambers. Alternatively, actively support candidates who you know will champion genuine environmental protection – offer your time, skills, or resources to help their campaign succeed.
- ENGAGE LOCALLY. Connect with your local Forest & Bird branch and other groups. They may have valuable insights into candidates or be running local campaigns you can support. Share information with your networks.
Let’s elect representatives who understand the urgency of the biodiversity and climate crises, recognise that environmental health is the bedrock of our wellbeing, and have the courage to make decisions that decisively tip the scales back in nature’s favour. The future we want – one of genuine restoration, resilience, and lasting regeneration – depends on it.