OraTaiao speak out against proposed public transport fare hike

The New Zealand Transport Agency released a discussion document in November about increasing the “private share of public transport operating expenditure”. This means that councils would need to take in more revenue to offset the cost of running public transport by charging more money for buses, ferries, and trains. While not set into policy yet, this document shows a clear direction from the government and one that OraTaiao fundamentally opposes.

Our transport working group, led by Steve Grimson, has written a letter to Transport Minister Simeon Brown, calling for the government to reverse this defunding and invest in public transport as a health intervention. Please consider writing a letter to Simeon (feel free to use ours as a template) to show widespread health professional disapproval of such a damaging proposal. 

Submission on New Zealand’s 2035 international climate change target (NDC2)

NZ is the highest per capita historic emitting nation, wealthy, full of natural resources, and among the highest per capita emitters globally. We must be a fair team player to limit global overheating to our humanly adaptable 1.5˚C. There is no excuse for delaying a much more ambitious NDC of over 80% by 2035 for global and international equity. Te Tiriti, fairness, human and planetary health must set NDC2.

OraTaiao's full submission to the Ministry for the Environment, prepared by Liz Springford, is available here.

October - November 2024 Newsletter Pānui

Health Sector United in Opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill

MEDIA RELEASE, 19 November 2024

Over 1000 health organisations, professionals, and advocates have signed an open letter calling for united health sector opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill. 

OraTaiao: Aotearoa New Zealand Climate and Health Council released the letter last week. National health organisations including The New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine, New Zealand Nurses Organisation, Te Kāhui Manukura o Kai Ora, New Zealand College of Midwives, Midwifery Employee Representation & Advisory Service, and the Association of Psychotherapists Aotearoa New Zealand (APANZ) support the letter.

OraTaiao speak out against proposed public transport fare hike

The New Zealand Transport Agency released a discussion document in November about increasing the “private share of public transport operating expenditure”. This means that councils would need to take in more revenue to offset the cost of running public transport by charging more money for buses, ferries, and trains. While not set into policy yet, this document shows a clear direction from the government and one that OraTaiao fundamentally opposes.

Our transport working group, led by Steve Grimson, has written a letter to Transport Minister Simeon Brown, calling for the government to reverse this defunding and invest in public transport as a health intervention. Please consider writing a letter to Simeon (feel free to use ours as a template) to show widespread health professional disapproval of such a damaging proposal. 

Submission on New Zealand’s 2035 international climate change target (NDC2)

NZ is the highest per capita historic emitting nation, wealthy, full of natural resources, and among the highest per capita emitters globally. We must be a fair team player to limit global overheating to our humanly adaptable 1.5˚C. There is no excuse for delaying a much more ambitious NDC of over 80% by 2035 for global and international equity. Te Tiriti, fairness, human and planetary health must set NDC2.

OraTaiao's full submission to the Ministry for the Environment, prepared by Liz Springford, is available here.

Submission on the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill

OraTaiao strongly opposes the amendment bill and urges that it is not progressed. The bill prioritises short-term economic gains over the essential need to reduce our fossil fuel dependence. A fairer, faster and more cost-effective energy transition is possible without the use of new oil and gas. 

OraTaiao's full submission to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee, prepared by Dermot Coffey, is available here.

Submission on New Zealand’s second Emissions Reduction Plan

Unfortunately, the small reductions that have started and the hope for accelerating these are mostly stalled or reversed by a barrage of climate-hostile policy changes. The draft second Emissions Reduction Plan is inadequate to achieve the domestic 2050 emissions targets. We are already way off track to meet our third emissions budget, our 2050 net zero target, or our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and we can’t see how the 2026-2030 plan will turn the ship around. Our inaction will make things even worse. The government's net-based approach wastes the unprecedented opportunity for health gains and health sector savings by prioritising direct gross emissions cuts with health co-benefits. To a tired and stretched health sector workforce, this is indefensible. Furthermore, fully resourcing all Māori and iwi-led emissions reduction plans and priorities is long overdue. Aotearoa’s climate action must enable an equitable transition, grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Mātauranga Māori. 

OraTaiao's full submission to The Ministry for the Environment, prepared by Liz Springford, Scott Metcalfe, and Dermot Coffey, is available here.

Designing a healthy response to climate change

Article by Dr Dermot Coffey. NZMJ Digest Issue 99. Read here (PDF).

Nurses are crucial in the fight against climate change

Viewpoint by Michael Brenndorfer. Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, Vol 26, No 9, October 2020. Read here (PDF).

New Zealand asthma guidelines support use of environmentally friendly inhalers

Article by Dr Dermot Coffey. New Zealand Doctor, 7 October 2020. Read here. 

Scorecard for NZ Election 2020 - Climate Change and Health

Scorecard and report by OraTaiao: NZ Climate & Health Council rating political parties' policies on climate change and health for NZ General Election 2020. See here (PDF).