Greenpeace Aotearoa and Forest & Bird have announced
a March for Nature to be held in Auckland on 19 September
2026, calling on New Zealanders to unite in defence of
nature.
The March comes as opposition to the
Government’s Conservation Amendment Bill, and love for our
wild places, continues to grow. People from across New
Zealand are being invited to join together and send a clear
message that nature and the places we all treasure must be
protected.
Greenpeace Executive Director Dr Russel
Norman says the Conservation Amendment Bill is the latest in
a series of attacks on nature that has brought growing
public frustration to boiling
point.
Greenpeace Executive Director Dr.
Russel Norman says: “For the past two and half
years this Government has waged a war on nature and this
latest attack on conservation land is the last
straw.
“This march isn’t just about one Bill. It’s
about saying enough is enough to a Government that keeps
putting corporate interests ahead of nature. From the
Fisheries Amendment Bill to the Fast-track Approvals Act and
now the Conservation Amendment Bill, we’ve watched
environmental protections be steadily dismantled.
“We
will not stand aside while this Government makes it easier
to commercially exploit public conservation land. These
snow-capped mountains, ancient forests, wild rivers and
coastlines belong to all of us. They are part of who we are
as a nation and must be protected.”
Forest
& Bird Acting Chief Executive Erika Toleman
says the Conservation Amendment Bill has become a rallying
point for people who care about and want to protect nature
in Aotearoa.
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“Conservation land is for people and for
nature. These are the wild places that belong to all of us
and future generations. New Zealanders take pride in
protecting our public conservation land, the mountains, wild
rivers, and forests that we love to explore.
“Our
native wildlife is already under immense pressure, we need
stronger protections for habitats and stronger environmental
safeguards.”
The March for Nature draws inspiration
from previous marches that successfully pushed back against
attempts to weaken environmental and conservation
protections. In 2010, people marched against plans to mine
Schedule 4 conservation land, forcing the Government to
backdown.
In 2024, the first March for Nature against
the Government’s Fast Track Bill, attended by over 20,000
people, successfully forced changes to some of the most
anti-environment proposals within the bill. This has been
consequential for decisions that followed such as the expert
panel declining the proposed seabed mine in
Taranaki.
“People in New Zealand have a long and proud
history of standing up for nature. Fifteen years ago, John
Key listened to New Zealanders from all walks of life when
his government backed down from opening up our most highly
protected conservation land to mining. As our current PM,
Christopher Luxon has the same opportunity to do the right
thing in 2026”, says Toleman.
Norman says, “Whether
it’s defending conservation land, the nuclear free movement
or ending offshore oil and gas exploration, we are a country
full of people who love the environment and want to protect
it. The Coalition Government has just signed itself up to a
battle that it cannot possibly
win.”
