A-Infos (en) France, UCL AL #374 - International - New Zealand: tensions rise in Aotearoa (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Economic growth and the conservation of natural environments do not mix 
well. Yet, this is a lie frequently repeated by the capitalist ruling 
classes. In Aotearoa-the Maori name for New Zealand-the government is 
preparing to put up for sale and pave over lands that are actually 
designated as World Heritage sites. --- Since June 2026, a New Zealand 
government proposal has been considering the sale of nearly 60% of the 
country's protected lands. Certain ministers defend this reform-such as 
Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka-arguing that "economic growth and 
conservation are not at odds with one another." The government and 
supporters of this new amendment claim they would only make land 
available for sale where "species are not threatened" and which "do not 
contain the best examples of endemic flora and fauna." In short, unless 
the land is a national park, a scientific reserve, or a designated 
"wilderness" area, it will be eligible for sale and development. It 
hardly needs explaining that, even outside of national "park" 
protections, these areas are essential for maintaining wildlife and 
biodiversity. Furthermore, some of the areas soon to be put up for sale 
are UNESCO World Heritage sites and could, de facto, be privatized and 
paved over.

On the ground, opposition is mounting amidst a climate particularly 
detrimental to wildlife protection and the rights of Indigenous people, 
as the government has recently proposed prioritizing the English 
language at the expense of Maori. There are, therefore, multiple 
concerns: a significant rise in tourism placing ever-increasing pressure 
on previously pristine environments; the urbanization of areas that 
serve as refuges; the loss of rights of way and the right to access 
nature... not to mention the ambiguity surrounding areas described as 
"showcasing the island's finest examples of flora and fauna" 
and-following capitalist logic-the perpetual expansion of land available 
for sale. Another concern is the sidelining of the New Zealand 
Conservation Authority[1]and the Department of Conservation, reducing 
them to the status of mere consultants; the Minister holds full 
authority to implement the government's expansionist policy, even when 
doing so runs counter to his own department's recommendations.

A project that also threatens local residents
While "fortress conservation" can and should be criticized[2], a 
colonial government selling off Indigenous land is indefensible. Many 
*iwi* (First Nations) and their *hapu* (Indigenous communities) are 
still awaiting government permission to return to lands from which they 
were once forcibly removed-lands the government now wishes to sell. This 
situation is reminiscent of the failure of the 2023 "Voice" referendum 
in Australia, a proposal intended to provide Aboriginal people with a 
representative body at the federal and national levels.

On June 25, the government-and specifically the Minister of 
Conservation-launched a public consultation allowing citizens to express 
their views on the project and submit ideas; this process runs until 
mid-July. Although some elements have already been removed from the 
text, opposition persists, and more than thirty protests are planned 
across the country in the coming weeks, with August 15 serving as a key 
date[3]. Rudy (UCL International Relations Committee)

Confirm

[1]An independent body advising the Department of Conservation on 
matters of national importance.

[2]See in particular the book by Bram Büscher and Robert Fletcher, *Le 
vivant et la révolution* (2023).

[3]This article was written prior to that date.

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Nouvelle-Zelande-la-situation-chauffe-en-Aotearoa
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