The Green Party is calling on the public to support the Ngutu Pare Wrybill not just in this year's Bird of the Year competition but also in pushing back against policies that could lead to the destruction of its habitat and accelerate its extinction.
"We need to save Christopher Luxon's Bird of the Year from his own Government," says the Green Party's spokesperson for Environment, Lan Pham.
"Two years ago, Christopher Luxon held a pretend press conference announcing his support for the Wrybill in the 2022 Bird of the Year contest. Fast forward to today and his Government looks set to fast-track the extinction of this same bird.
"Wrybills live in our braided river systems, which are extremely rare, making them unique ecological hotspots. Meanwhile, the Government's fast-track legislation looks set to unleash as many as 21 mining projects upon our environment. We were recently given a harrowing reminder of the damage mining can do to our environment when an old mining shaft leaked arsenic into the Ohinemuri River, leaving it a fluorescent orange colour.
"The Government has slashed and burned almost all environmental safeguards through its anti-environment Fast Track Bill and in scrapping the Natural Built Environment Act. These decisions pose a significant risk to Wrybill habitat and open the door to land development impacting braided rivers.
"Organisations charged with the protection of our environment have also been stripped to their bare bones, with the Department of Conservation, Ministry for the Environment and Environmental Protection Authority victim to the deep cuts Luxon has executed across our public service. This will come at a significant cost to birds like the Wrybill that make Aotearoa unique.
"Once again, Luxon's rhetoric is failing to match up with the reality of his actions. He was happy to participate in a competition aimed at raising awareness of species on the brink of extinction but is now actively accelerating the extinction of the same bird he threw his support behind.
"We are calling on the public to support the Wrybill by voting for it in this year's competition but also by letting Luxon know that his fast track to environmental ruin is not something Aotearoa signed up for," says Lan Pham.
Notes for editors
- Voting for this year's competition opened at 9am on Monday 2 September.
- Voting closes at 5pm on Sunday 15 September.
- The winner will be announced on Monday 16 September.
