Call on Christopher Luxon to leave New Zealand’s freshwater protections alone
Everyone has a right to know that the water coming out of their kitchen tap is safe to drink. We should all be able to take a dip in the local river without getting sick. But across Aotearoa, the health of lakes, rivers, and drinking water is worsening – and one of the worst contaminants is nitrate, coming from the intensive dairy industry.
Now Christopher Luxon’s government plans to get rid of the only freshwater protections in New Zealand. They want to see more cows living in mud, polluting rivers with more sediment and cow effluent. And they’re removing Te Mana o Te Wai – a policy that puts the health of freshwater ecosystems first, the health of people second, and commercial use of water last. They are giving commercial interests free reign to pollute with no regard for the health of nature or people.
This will put rural communities across the country, as well as entire cities like Christchurch, at risk of unsafe levels of nitrate contamination in their drinking water. And it will lead to more unswimmable lakes and rivers.
New Zealanders may have voted for a change of Government, but they did not vote for unsafe drinking water. They didn’t vote for lakes and rivers to be treated like open sewers. For the sake of all New Zealanders, Luxon must keep his hands off the freshwater protections.
Other actions
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PETITION: Clean drinking water now!
Join us in calling on Environment Canterbury to commit to enduring freshwater protections that ensure safe drinking water and swimmable rivers for all.
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GAZA: Call for sanctions on Israel
Join the call for sanctions on Israel over Gaza genocide.
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Say no to increased glyphosate food residue limits
The Govt is trying to allow 100 times more glyphosate residues on our food and rewrite the rulebook to fast-track more toxic agrichemicals into our food system.
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Contact your electorate MP
Our local Member of Parliament (MP) represents us, and acts in our name. Use the list of MPs below to contact your own local MP on the environmental issue that you’re passionate about.
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Rainbow Warrior Auckland Open Days 2025
This July, the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior returned to Aotearoa, 40 years after French Government agents bombed the original ship in Auckland.
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Call on Chris Hipkins to take a stand against seabed mining
Any political party that takes environmental protection seriously must stand against Trans-Tasman Resources’ plan to seabed mine in the South Taranaki Bight.
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PETITION: Stop the corporate power grab RMA reforms
The Luxon Government has launched another attack on nature and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Former Big Tobacco lobbyist turned Minister, Chris Bishop, is planning to rewrite our core environmental protection law – the RMA – to gut protections for nature, erase the Treaty of Waitangi, and turn land ownership into a license to pollute. And…
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PETITION: Time to resist
Billionaires and corporations are attempting a takeover of democracy to stifle dissent and limit our efforts to protect nature and the climate. Using their vast fortunes, they lobby to weaken regulations meant to protect people and the planet, fund candidates who serve their interests, and gain control of the media to shape the stories we…
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Find a Greenpeace event
Find a Greenpeace event to join and take action for the planet
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South Pacific Seamounts Expedition
We embarked on an exciting journey to uncover the secrets of the deep. Find out more here and see what’s at stake!
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PETITION: Tax the super-rich to pay for climate action
We urge governments to tax the super-rich now and use those funds to support people and protect the planet.
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Volunteer with Greenpeace
Join a team of passionate volunteers & demand change today. Find out about volunteering in one of New Zealand’s largest environmental organisations.
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PETITION: Stop Fonterra using Palm Kernel
Call on Fonterra to end the use of rainforest destroying palm kernel on its farms by banning palm kernel in the Farmers’ Terms of Supply.
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PETITION: Choose a Clean Energy Future
We call on the Govt to embrace New Zealand’s Clean Energy Future, invest in solar and wind, and reject new fossil fuel electricity generation and a new fossil gas import facility.
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Open Letter to Stop the Fast Track
Sign on to this open letter to industry now to help push more of them to opt out of the Fast Track.
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Example of Official Information Act Request
To request the latest cameras on boats footage, use the text below to make an Official Information Act request to the government by emailing [email protected].
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Tell Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to stop the rollback of freshwater protection
Every New Zealander should be able to swim in clean rivers and know that the water coming out of their kitchen tap is safe to drink.
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Greenpeace desktop and mobile calendar downloads
Here’s a small gift for June 2024 – a digital calendar you can use on your desktop or phone. This month, we’ve chosen a beautiful shot of a humpback whale in the Indian Ocean.
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Monthly wallpaper downloads
For June’s digital wallpaper, we’re celebrating the return of the Rainbow Warrior to Aotearoa waters.
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Say no to new oil exploration
Sign the open letter to the oil industry – We will resist oil exploration
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Resist new oil exploration posters
Download a poster, print a few off and put them up around town to help us build the resistance to new offshore oil exploration.
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PETITION: Create global ocean sanctuaries
Call on the Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters to create new global ocean sanctuaries and protect our blue planet.
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Message in a bottle to bring back the container deposit scheme
And then, take a photo holding your message in a bottle, and share on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with #BringBackCRS