Our Vision: We want to create a country where we are admired by the world not just because of our wonderful natural environment, but because of the way we live. A way of life that protects and enhances that environment.
23rd April 2020 this policy and associated documents are copyright April 2020 NZ Outdoors Party.
Health Care Policy:
The Outdoors Party believes that the most important thing a person can possess is the gift of good health and the most important thing a government can do is to ensure the health of the nation. We envision a world class system that is based on a regenerative and holistic approach to health that combines conventional and complementary approaches. This system would take an integrated approach to biological, functional and environmental medicine and lifestyle that will inform, educate and empower the patient, their family/whanau and their community to create and maintain their own health and well-being.
“health, housing and education are the basic requirements of individual welfare as well as being essential for the prosperity and effective functioning of a modern society” (Australian economist, Peter Self)
Integrative Medical Centres for better health outcomes
The NZODP will advocate and allocate funding for nationwide Integrative Medical Centres, where patients can access the best of conventional and natural medicine. Practitioners will work together in partnership to provide personalised healthcare based on multi-disciplinary medicine to ensure best possible health outcomes in a timely fashion. These clinics will provide a wide range of psychological and physical therapies that may include but not be limited to: Rongoa Maori, Osteopathy, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Physiotherapy, Naturopathy and Nutritionists, Ayurveda, Herbal, Homeopathy and counseling.
Facing modern health challenges
Our Nation is suffering an epidemic of asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), autoimmune disorders (diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disorders etc.), mental illness (anxiety and depression), neurological degeneration (dementia), stroke, undetected infections and their complications (rheumatic heart disease, Guillain-Barré Syndrome). Our leading causes of death are ischaemic heart disease, cancer (colorectal, breast, prostate, lung), suicide and trauma, diabetes, stroke and other diseases of circulation. (https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/populations/maori-health/tatau-kahukura-maori-health-statistics/nga-mana-hauora-tutohu-health-status-indicators/major-causes-death)
The NZODP recognizes that modern medical treatment may help alleviate a patient’s symptoms, but if the underlying cause is not resolved, the patient often experiences further deterioration of their health. It is clear that our medical system is not designed to prevent or heal chronic diseases.
Faced with this epidemic of degenerative illness, individuals need to take responsibility for their health alongside governmental organizations recognizing that it needs to address the societal causes of disease such as environmental toxins. (see our agricultural policies)
A new vision to create good health for our nation
Our nation has an amazing public health care system that provides emergency treatment free to all our citizens. We have wonderful, caring, highly trained medical professionals who do their best for their patients within the capacity of the system. However, The New Zealand Outdoors Party believes the creation of good health should be our primary goal, instead of an increasingly expensive disease management system.
Kids at play on a beach. health lifestyle thriving people
The Outdoors Party recognises that good health is not “a coincidence” and is dependent on multiple factors including family life, work life, environmental toxins, nutritional status, and is not purely a factor of a person’s lifestyle choices. Decades of poor risk assessment means that kiwis are exposed to multiple toxic substances on a daily basis. Ignoring this as a cause of disease puts the burden of health on to individuals instead of society.
Review of the healthcare model
The NZODP will undertake an independent review of the current healthcare model. This assessment of cost-risk-benefit will be used to manage allocation of resources to those practices that show the most beneficial outcomes. Therapies that have proven benefit will be subsidised.
Better collection and use of health data
The NZODP will allocate funding for quality targeted epidemiology that accurately tracks the causes of poor health giving the MOH better data for allocation of resources for disease prevention.
Allied Health Wards
The NZODP will advocate for at least one ward in every hospital to be run as an “Allied Health Ward”, supporting those patients requesting alternative therapies. This allows for “the best of both worlds” approach – ensuring patients who desire it are still able to use treatments that align with their physical, emotional, mental and/or spiritual needs but have access to allopathic emergency services. IV vitamin C, in appropriate doses, will be made available to those who request it.
An effective Mental Health Strategy
The NZ Outdoors Party is very concerned about the increasing number of New Zealanders suffering from anxiety and depression, and the alarming number of people committing suicide. Very concerning to us, is that nearly 15,000 antidepressant prescriptions are being given to 6 to 18 year olds annually, and 72 for children aged five and under. (Pharmac 2008)
Maria Bradshaw’s well researched work regarding depression and suicide in New Zealand exposes that normal medical practise for mental health is clearly not working. The NZ Outdoors Party recommends using Maria Bradshaw’s research and recommendations to improve mental health outcomes and reduce the suicide rate in our people.
At the heart of the current mental health paradigm is the biomedical approach which fails to acknowledge the many psychological, social, environmental and nutritional factors that can contribute to mental health issues.
The NZ Outdoors Party will recommend reforms which encompass a more holistic multi-faceted approach to the treatment of individuals suffering the range of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and suicidal ideation.
This would include access to functional medicine and nutritional support as well as addressing the social determinants of health such as housing, social inclusion, meaningful work, access to education, financial support and meditation.
Recognising that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) affect an individual’s health for their entire life, the OP will support programs for resolving emotional trauma.
As nearly 10% of psychiatric outpatients have medical disorders which produce psychiatric symptoms, NZ Outdoors Party will ensure all patients presenting with psychiatric disorders undergo a comprehensive health evaluation to rule out underlying health issues. Until this is achieved they should not be given medications without careful evaluation.
The New Zealand Outdoors Party will advocate and recommend the reinstatement of long term residential care homes for the safety and well-being of psychiatric patients. This will be a safe place that patients can receive a full diagnostic assessment, quality nutritional support, rest, therapy, as well as long term care for those who are no longer able to care for themselves out in society.
Implement Ministerial Advisory Committee on Complementary and Alternative Health Report
There are insufficient clinical toxicologists in hospitals, resulting in medical staff being unsupported to make meaningful and speedy diagnoses for patients affected by single or multiple exposures to toxic chemicals, thereby putting peoples’ lives at risk. The New Zealand Outdoors Party will allocate funding from the DHB’s for clinical toxicologists, for research, training and employment.
The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights.
The NZ Outdoors Party will uphold the intent of The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights. We defend the right of every person/parent/legal guardian to decline invasive medical procedures and interventions, including vaccination, or to access alternative treatment for their child with no resultant punitive action. This will never negate ensuring a child is in a safe environment and receiving the best possible healthcare for their condition whilst not overriding different belief systems.
Research into Antibiotics alternatives
NZODP will allocate funds for further research into effective, safe alternatives to antibiotics, as overuse of antibiotics has created “superbug” antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Support for non-invasive testing procedures
Non-invasive testing procedures such as thermography for safe early detection of breast disease be subsidised and/or available through the hospital system.
Drug and alcohol rehabilitation
The Outdoors Party will support and resource a holistic approach to drug and alcohol rehabilitation, using already proven approaches such as “Hanmer Clinic Tauranga” as well as scientifically validated nutritional support available to those people fighting addiction.
Head & Brain Injury Strategy
Head and brain injuries have often unrecognised, serious long term harm.
Both head injury from trauma and brain injury from neurotoxic compounds causes chronic brain inflammation that needs immediate/acute and appropriate treatment as well as the best chronic care our country can offer. We will allocate funding for campaigns to attempt to reduce the most common causes of head and brain injuries.
The NZ Outdoors Party will allocate funding for research into the best treatments and supplements for healing head and brain injury, and make sure that this information is shared and used across the board in hospitals, clinics and in the sports sector and treatment is adequately funded.
Fair PHO payment
To allow for choice in medicine, the PHO amount of $600/person/year be allocated to each patient to be used for the health care of their choice – whether to their medical centre or other allied health practitioner. Many Kiwis work hard to maintain good health and are less of a financial burden on the public health system, this is a small way to reward those people.
Healthy Community Initiatives
We will fund and support community initiatives that encourage healthy eating, growing healthy food and support holistic health approaches to fitness, relaxation and other initiatives that support a healthy lifestyle. Networks that provide centralised support for a local community – Wellness Village Hubs combining the best of Plunket, Playcenter, Mothers for Mothers Program, and mentors, such as “Super Grans”, “Mens Sheds” and other appropriate organisations.
Our “Real-Food” Strategy
NZODP will support initiatives to increase use of organic, free range, GE-Free foods in New Zealand restaurants.
Good food grows healthy children so NZODP will create a Healthy Food Policy.
Food should not only be uncontaminated with harmful bacteria and pesticide residues but have high nutritional value, low sugar content, only safe preservatives, and no transfats and toxic /damaged fats – in other words safe to eat in every sense of the word
Even “Junk or Fun Food” should be free of chemical additives, addictive substances, pesticides and herbicides, excess sugar and be healthy for our children to eat.
The NZ Outdoors Party Health Food Policy supports a continued ban on the import and use of any products containing genetically modified components/ingredients.
Other measures to ensure health for New Zealanders will include –
1) Stop the importation of packaged and processed foods which do not adhere to strict “real-food” standards.
2) Ensure food produced in NZ adheres to the “real-food” standard.
3) Promote food education beginning at primary school to ensure that children know which foods are healthy. These programs should be based on the latest evidence that is free from commercial influence.
4) Conduct research into the use of ingredients in food that may cause chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. If the results can show unambiguous evidence of harm, removing those ingredients will become part of the NZ Health Food Policy.
5) Healthy food should be our cheapest option. Foods proven to be not beneficial to good health will be taxed accordingly pushing them into occasional “treat” status.
6) Secondary school kitchens will be made available for community cooking classes, going back to basics of cooking nutritious, delicious food. The “Super Grans” initiative is a good example of community members finding ways to support community health and wellbeing. Such community-based organisations will be supported to grow and increase their community reach and influence.
Compulsory year 11 Health Education curriculum
Understanding how the body works is empowering, therefore The NZODP will ensure a robust compulsory Health Education curriculum in Year11 covering basic human anatomy and physiology, basics of natural health maintenance, nutrition, emotional health, family health.
Improving dental health
Regular dental care should be accessible for all. NZ Outdoors Party will support government subsidies for adult dental treatment costs.
We are lucky in New Zealand to have dental clinics with experienced and competent dental nurses in most schools. However, The Outdoors Party will ensure that only toxin-free products are used in school dental clinics and children’s dental health across the board. Amalgam and slow-release fluoride fillings must be phased out.
Education on good dental hygiene and good nutrition to build healthy teeth will be made part of the primary school curriculum, Yr 11 Health Curriculum, Plunket program, and the Mothers for Mothers program.
Mothers for Mothers Program
The NZ Outdoors Party will create a new program for mothers and families who require it, to be eligible for support person – a “super-mum” who can support new parents transition smoothly into a successful, happy, well-rounded family unit.
Super-mums will be experienced in child rearing from practical, hands-on experience of being a mother, managing a household and have had extra training to learn how to support new parents who are, for whatever reason, unsupported at this crucial time in their lives. This gives older mothers a chance to share their knowledge and wisdom, gain respect from their community, up-skill and earn money, and it gives new mums a chance to gradually build up confidence in their ability as a mother. Families will learn positive strategies for working with infants and babies, self-love and self-care (you can’t give to others what you can’t give to yourself), good nutrition and healthy shopping, housekeeping, budgeting, emotional support etc. (The NZ Outdoors Party will develop a curriculum for this purpose)
There would obviously be a need for ‘supervision’ and psychological support, both for the people receiving the “super-mum” support and those providing it.
Healthy Pregnancies Program – creating healthy future New Zealanders
The NZ Outdoors Party believes that all children deserve a healthy start in life. The Outdoors Party will support a comprehensive program to give women support to make the best decisions for their bodies and the health of their unborn babies and reduce stress and anxiety during pregnancy.
The Healthy Pregnancies Program will provide prenatal workshops for women who are trying to conceive or are in their first to third trimester, ensuring early inclusion in the program is achieved through collaboration with midwives and GP clinics.
The program will include healthy eating during pre conception and pregnancy, avoidance of toxins and other harmful substances, supplements to aid foetal development, mindfulness and mental health of mother, exercise during pregnancy, access to support networks, rights of the mother during maternity care and delivery, birthing and natural pain relief options, and early post natal care, relationship health during pregnancy and post delivery.
Research will be undertaken to ensure the best possible health for our mothers and babies, and ensure that pre and post natal medical interventions are achieving the best health outcomes.
The Healthy Pregnancies Program will be tailored for all communities throughout New Zealand and workshops will be co-ordinated and delivered at Integrated Health Hubs, maternity hospitals and health clinics throughout New Zealand as well as an online resource.
Foetal Alcohol (and Drug) Syndrome Awareness
The New Zealand Outdoors Party is aware that FAS is considered to be a leading preventable cause of intellectual and developmental problems.
Researchers estimate may FASD occur in 1 in 100 children in New Zealand. FASD is a lifelong condition that lasting impacts on a child, their family and society. The fact that FASD is preventable means that through good policy and initiatives we can reduce the number of children being born with this disorder and also we can support those children better who already are affected by it.
We want to see better education for doctors and medical staff to assist them to identify at an early age children with FASD or harm from maternal drug abuse.
We will develop a media campaign to educate New Zealanders on the impact of alcohol and/or drugs on the unborn child.
We want to ensure that schools can work with outside agencies to help appropriate diagnosis and support for children with FASD/maternal drug use for the benefit of the child.
Maori Health Care
Our policy is everyone deserves the best possible health care. We do not need separate health systems based on race if there is no prejudice in the system and patient’s beliefs are respected and health alternatives are available to everyone.
Can we improve accountability in medicine?
The New Zealand Outdoors Party recognises the Health Quality & Safety Commission efforts in reporting and reducing harm from medical error, but believes that we need to do much more to protect patients from over-prescribing, incorrect prescribing, inappropriate intervention, delayed medical care, preventable and/or repetitive errors etc. Medical professionals that show signs of incompetence should be removed from their role immediately and undergo retraining to be able to continue in that field.
The Outdoors Party will direct the Centre for Adverse Reaction Monitoring (CARM – the centre that monitors drug reactions in New Zealand) to be highly proactive in reporting the adverse effects and interactions of medications. This will enable CARM to initiate immediate actions to protect the health of our people.
Update funding for Midwives
In recognition of the valuable work and high level of responsibility, as well as the long and arduous hours required of the profession The Outdoors Party considers midwives should have immediate increased pay rates and improved working conditions. This will also encourage young people into the profession and reduce the attrition rate due to burn out and inadequate compensation for long hours. The Outdoors Party calls for:
1) Review of section 88 and all modules to assess sustainability and safety for midwives, mothers and babies.
2) Increase pay rates for LMC’s, pay an “on call allowance”, and payment for travel based on mileage. Subsequent births should have the same pay rate as a first birth.
3) Midwives to be able to charge for each extra visit on top of their allocated number, to allow for increased pre and postnatal requirements.
4) Initial consultation payment be in line with the GP’s initial consultation payment and be paid immediately.
5) The DHB shall claim for primary births the same as a primary care facility or midwife. As primary maternity funding in hospitals is often used for functions other than maternity, those funds will instead be used to better support LMC’s and primary birth care facilities.
Reference Pages
Maria Bradshaw, co-founder and CEO of CASPER (Community Action on Suicide Prevention Education & Research) wrote “Suicide rates increased in states that reduced their per capita expenditures for public welfare during the 35-year period, 1960 to 1995. In 1990, not only were suicide rates higher in states that spent less for public welfare than in states that spent more, but states’ spending for public welfare was the only variable that accounted for the widening of differences in states’ suicide rates.”
This policy and associated papers are copyright. April 2020. NZ Outdoors Party.
This policy is the work or a number of people and specialists in the team namely: Tracy Livingston (B.App Sc. Osteopathy and team leader), Heidi Jensen-Warren, Anna King (B.App Sc. Osteopathy)
NZ Outdoors Party Policy on Outdoors Recreation and Wildlife.
Our Vision: We want to create a country where we are admired by the world not just because of our wonderful natural environment, but because of the way we live. A way of life that protects and enhances that environment.
The NZ Outdoors Party is concerned that recent governments have not valued our Outdoors Culture or the importance of New Zealanders being and feeling connected with nature and having ready access to our Outdoors.
Access to and connection with the Great Outdoors for a range of activities is fundamental to our New Zealand culture. The Great Outdoors is what makes New Zealand special and unique.
What will you do for native species?
We will Recognise that our native species need suitable habitat to thrive We will Research the limiting factor for survival of critical native species and develop optimal holistic solutions to help these species thrive We will encourage trapping and other non-poison related solution to manage predators whilst encouraging use of possum fur and meat
What about beaches and wild places?
Free access to our beaches, forests, rivers and great outdoors is important for our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
Our wild places provide fresh air, clean water to help New Zealanders and our environment to thrive.
The NZ Outdoors Party is concerned that recent governments have not valued our Outdoors Culture or the importance of New Zealanders being and feeling connected with nature and having ready access to our Outdoors.
How will the NZ Outdoors Party achieve these goals?
We will Replace the Department of Conservation with a new Department of Outdoors Recreation, Nature and Wildlife (known as “DORNW”). What is the purpose of DORNW
The purpose of DORNW is to
a) Encourage New Zealanders to get Outdoors and enjoy a range of activities for physical, mental and spiritual well-being including for fun, recreation, education and relaxation.
b) Promote public access to the Outdoors including all public land, coastal marine and rivers;
c) Promote the conservation of rivers, forests, other natural habitats and wildlife using a holistic approach so natural ecosystems can thrive free from poisons or other contamination and so we and our children can in future safely drink water from wild streams.
d) To encourage food gathering for personal, whanau and educational purposes from public land.
e) Provide places for different potentially conflicting Outdoors activities, by developing an Outcomes for Places approach so people can help decide and then enjoy different the character of different locations.
f) Make provision for commercial activities when these commercial activities will not adversely affect wildlife or public use and enjoyment.
g) Ensure early and comprehensive public engagement in decisions which may affect public access to or use of public land including consideration of alternative approaches.
h) Ensure information about public resources, and their management is made publicly available at the earliest opportunity;
i) Ensure that all decisions are made in the public interest and in accordance with good governance and sound principles of public law.
j) Provide a framework for statutory entities such as Fish and Game, tangata whenua, and community interests such as CORANZ and other recreational and commercial users and local landowners to whiteboard strategies and solutions to promote these policies and at all times acting in the public interest.
How does this policy mesh with other policies?
As other policies mesh with this they will be loaded here.
Our Vision: We want to create a country where we are admired by the world not just because of our wonderful natural environment, but because of the way we live. A way of life that protects and enhances that environment.
What is the stance of the NZ Outdoors Party on 1080 and other Vertebrate Toxins
What is the Outdoors Party policy on 1080
The NZ Outdoors Party policy is “immediately ban all use of 1080 and brodifacoum poisons”. Deadly and dangerous poison including 1080 (Sodium Fluoroacetate), Brodifacoum, Cholicalciferol and Cyanide are used (under tradenames including Pestex and Pestoff) to poison mammals.
Who are the big users?
The three main public users are: – Department of Conservation who use poisons to poison rats, mice and possums. – OSPRI who seek to eradicate possums as a suspected vector for spreading bovine tuberculosis. – Regional Councils to control unwanted mammals including rabbits, possums, rats, mice, cats and wallabies on Council and privately owned land. Some of these organisations, deliberately or otherwise, also use toxins to poison feral deer, goats, pigs and other game animals.
Why is this a contentious issue?
The aerial and other use of brodifacoum and 1080 is a contentious subject. Some claim that without it rodents and mustelids (stoats, ferrets and weasels), would annihilate our bird populations.
However these poisons are cruel, indiscriminate, and directly and indirectly kill many native birds, deer and pigs and contaminate the foodchain, creating an avoidable environmental and economic risk. Neither 1080 nor brodifacoum can lawfully be used to target stoats or ferrets. Some research has been undertaken on “efficient” use of 1080, but there is little research on the toxicity or fate of breakdown products, effect of long-term sub-lethal doses, teratogenic effects (foetal impact) or hormone interference to plants and animals, including humans or on the effect of poisons interfering with natural ecological balances. Nor is there any research on the risk from cereals in baits of unknown source and quality spreading spores, myco-toxins and other pesticides, or the cumulative effect of these on ecosystems.
What is the history of 1080?
NZ has been dropping millions of tonnes of toxins across our land for sixty years. This approach is not working. We still have “pests” and rat plagues have become more common. The NZ Outdoors Party believes that landscape scale use of poisons is not a sustainable solution, has no social licence, and has created an unwinnable “war on nature”. The Outdoors Party encourages healthy ecosystems and communities, community access to deer and other wild foods, the utilisation of possums for fur and other niche enterprises and more targeted community led pest management.
Our Vision: We want to create a country where we are admired by the world not just because of our wonderful natural environment, but because of the way we live. A way of life that protects and enhances that environment.
This policy and associated papers are copyright. NZ Outdoors Party. 2017
The New Zealand Outdoors Party supports a return to farming with nature, using principles similar to permaculture, "agro-ecology" and "regenerative agriculture".
We promote agricultural practices which build up healthy thriving soils, rich in carbon and diverse microbes which in turn will grow healthy resilient crops and healthy nutritious food. These practices put the carbon back into the soil where it belongs to address concerns about climate change.
We encourage localism, with farmers playing a central role in creating healthy thriving communities.
We support communities taking back control over their food sovereignty with home, school and community vegetable gardens and farmers markets, so people can get their hands back into the soil and reconnect with nature and the outdoors, and so families and communities can build up self-sufficiency and resilience.
NZ Outdoors Party - Fresh Water Policy
Our Vision: We want to create a country where we are admired by the world not just because of our wonderful natural environment, but because of the way we live. A way of life that protects and enhances that environment.
This policy and associated papers are copyright. NZ Outdoors Party. 2017
Drinkable water is everyone's birthright - We will bring FRESH back into FRESH WATER
We will bring FRESH back into FRESH WATER.
The NZ Outdoors Party will ensure that all New Zealanders have clean drinkable water.
Maintain water quality in all rivers, to a swimmable drinkable level.
To keep rivers in their natural state as much as possible subject to water storage requirements.
To ensure there is no privatisation or ownership of water, as it belongs to all New Zealanders.
Pest control around water storage facilities and waterways, to be done manually with non poison methods.
New Zealand is blessed with 1,100 rivers, 4,000 lakes and 600 billion cubic metres of annual precipitation. Of this, 11 billion cubic metres of freshwater is consumed (taken out and not returned) by human activity. Although this sounds, literally, like a drop in the ocean, the fact is that most of it falls where it is not consumed and conversely most is consumed where it does not fall.
Who use most of the water?
The biggest consumer of freshwater is irrigation schemes, primarily for dairy pasture. Excluding hydro schemes this comprises 80% of all consented freshwater takes. In Canterbury alone the conversion of dry tussock plains into dairy pasture uses half of all our consumed water, despite the region having only 10% of the countries natural water supply.
Is water quality improving?
Fisheries data shows that through either pollution, abstraction or modification, trout populations have collapsed in the Ruamahanga, Riuwaka, Takaka, North Ashburton, Irwell and Selwyn Rivers and lakes Ellesmere, Tutira and Hayes to name a few. Land clearance and disturbance from forestry, high stocking rates and ploughing causes sediment to wash into rivers and estuaries during high rainfall. Sediment blankets spawning areas for fish and invertebrate habitat as well as reducing clarity.
In 2017 the Ministry for the Environment reported that 61% of rural lowland rivers have worsening nitrogen pollution, phosphorus pollution was improving for half of measured sites but we do not have sufficient data to measure e.coli trends for two thirds of our rivers.
Fisheries data shows that through either pollution, abstraction or modification, trout populations have collapsed in the Ruamahanga, Riuwaka, Takaka, North Ashburton, Irwell and Selwyn Rivers and lakes Ellesmere, Tutira and Hayes to name a few. Land clearance and disturbance from forestry, high stocking rates and ploughing causes sediment to wash into rivers and estuaries during high rainfall. Sediment blankets spawning areas for fish and invertebrate habitat as well as reducing clarity.
Big irrigation schemes enable intensive agriculture which in turn increases run off and eases run off and pollution into our surface and groundwater. To date, the Government has spent less than 2% of its funds committed to such irrigation schemes. Thus continuing to irrigate will lead to a fifty fold increase above current pollution levels.
More irrigation and nutrients from animal waste and fertilisers will lead to increased freshwater pollution over the next 30 to 50 years. Our rivers and lakes will be less likely to provide safe swimming, good fishing or to sustain food gathering in the future if we carry on as we are currently.
Government freshwater standards allow for levels of nitrates toxic to fish and only sets swimmable standards for 10% of our rivers and lakes.
What is wrong with intensive agriculture from dams?
Big irrigation schemes enable intensive agriculture which in turn increases run off and pollution into our surface and groundwater. To date, the Government has spent less than 2% of its funds committed to such irrigation schemes.
Irrigation means more intensive agriculture.
Thus continuing to irrigate and intensify will lead to a fifty fold increase above current pollution levels. More irrigation and nutrients from animal waste and fertilisers will lead to increased freshwater pollution over the next 30 to 50 years. Our rivers and lakes will be less likely to provide safe swimming, good fishing or to sustain food gathering in the future if we carry on as we are currently.
Government freshwater standards allow for levels of nitrates toxic to fish and only sets swimmable standards for 10% of our rivers and lakes.
Dried up river from excessive irrigation. Showing dead fish.
Our freshwater quality standards are focused on swimmability which relates solely to e.coli levels . They do not protect healthy aquatic ecosystems and we have no freshwater quantity (minimum flow) standards.
What will the NZ Outdoors Party do?
The NZ Outdoors Party will instigate the following policies for freshwater
Stop Creating More Pollution: End the $540M of public funds for irrigation schemes, diverting this money to develop truly environmentally beneficial farming practices.
Keep Rivers Unmodified: Unless there is a risk of damage to infrastructure, Councils must maintain the natural character of rivers, provide for rivers to change and meander and so stop rock walling, cross blading, dams and diversions
Water Belongs to Everyone: No property rights , rental, payment or trading of water. Commoditisation of freshwater leads to consolidated ownership.
Those who profit from polluting freshwater should pay for its restoration.
Keep Rivers Full: Set a minimum environmental flow standard for all rivers in NZ, below which no abstraction is permitted.
Keep Rivers Clean: Revise the National Policy Statement Freshwater Management (NPS FM) to set standards and attributes at healthy freshwater ecosystem levels.
Set up governing body to set water policy for New Zealand and monitor the performance of councils including:
Agree with each council the appropriate water quality levels for each waterway within their catchment, and any actions required to achieve and maintain those levels;
Monitor councils’ performance in relation to water quality;
Agree with each council the appropriate volume of water for each waterway within their catchment
What about the export of bottled water?
We are disgusted by the emergence of the water bottling industry. Our precious and purest water is sucked from the aquifers and exported in plastic bottles to china without any cost. Our purest water, exported while we drink water that has filtered through factory scale mega dairy farms.
We will ban the export of all New Zealand water.
Copyright and credits
This policy and associated papers are copyright. April 2017. NZ Outdoors Party.
This policy is the work or a number of people and specialist in the team namely: David Haynes, Alan Simmons.
NZ Outdoors Party Policy on Education
Our Vision: We want to create a country where we are admired by the world not just because of our wonderful natural environment, but because of the way we live. A way of life that protects and enhances that environment.
This policy and associated papers are copyright. NZ Outdoors Party. 23rd April 2020.
Our mission is to provide a holistic, inclusive and empowering education system where every person will thrive and learn how to make conscious, responsible and informed choices about their future.
Our goal is to create a unique educational framework that recognises the important place of the outdoors environment and our community for our social, cultural and economic well-being and reflects our unique NZ way of life.
Why is the NZ Outdoors Party focusing on Education?
We believe that the Outdoors is at the heart of the NZ way of life and that education should involve an appreciation of this. We want to create an education system that teaches learners about their own unique community and outdoor environment so that they can develop a strong sense of belonging and connection to it.
We want to see a future where children grow up to become lifelong learners who are confident in, connected to and actively involved in the outdoors so they are inspired to engage in and contribute to an ecologically sustainable future.
How is the Outdoors Party Education Policy different to other parties?
Our policy recognises the importance of the Outdoors as a strong factor in our past, present and future and links to our other policies that have a strong theme of community and localism.
Tramping trips and outdoor education is very important for developing teens
We will strongly advocate for recognition of our NZ heritage and history and we will promote and fund outdoor education initiatives such as conservation and restoration projects, recreation activities, programmes such as Garden to Table and Enviroschools, as well as other nature based and local initiatives that foster sustainability and community well-being. We also want to ensure that regenerative agriculture and organic horticulture are implemented as key modules of learning in the secondary and tertiary sector for the benefit of New Zealand’s future economy and environment.
Many teachers are feeling undervalued and overworked across the system. How will your party change this?
Kids playing and learning in rockpool
We will invest heavily into education because we recognise that our people, their skills and knowledge are our greatest assets for the future. We will implement transformative change to our education system as recommended in the Tomorrow Schools Review to establish quality leadership models and support structures to ensure teachers workloads are manageable and teachers are valued. We want to ensure that teachers are well trained, supported and valued to provide the best practice and the best educational experience for all learners.
How will your party address pay parity between the ECE and Primary and Secondary sectors?
Our strategy will be to work collaboratively to ensure that pay parity can be achieved as soon as possible.
How will your party address the teacher/child ratios in ECE and in teacher/student ratios in classrooms?
Our investment in education will ensure that we will provide adequate funding for better ratios that are based on best practice. This will help to ensure that quality care is provided to all learners through individualised teaching and learning.
What is the Outdoors Party policy on technology and online learning?
We believe that technology has its place in education and we will promote safe technology use in homes and education facilities. We will advocate for high-speed fibre optic wired-in connections. We will promote safe technology as a useful tool for innovation that helps learners to think critically and creatively.
Copyright and credits
This policy and associated papers are copyright. April 2020. NZ Outdoors Party.
This policy is the work or a number of people and specialist in the team namely: Jenni Brown, Calli Kennedy, Darlene Morgan, Brad Flutey.
NZ Outdoors Party - Firearms Policy
05/07/2020
Our Vision: We want to create a country where we are admired by the world not just because of our wonderful natural environment, but because of the way we live. A way of life that protects and enhances that environment.
This policy and associated papers are copyright. NZ Outdoors Party. 2017
A lot of New Zealanders have been brought up around firearms in this country. We are a country of hunters and target shooters. Approximately quarter of a million of us hold licences and have passed the “fit and proper persons test”.
According to police statistics firearm offending has been lower than 0.25% of all crime in this country. Licensed E class endorsements holders have never been involved in a firearms crime in this country.
The New Zealand Outdoors Party will appeal the poorly conceived 2019 amendments to the 1983 arms act and will look at considered process for proper consultation between firearm users, affiliated clubs and police.
We would like a full and open enquiry that led to the Christchurch Massacre and the circumstances that lead up to it.
What will the New Zealand Outdoors Party like to see happen?
Consultation between Firearm holders including target shooting clubs ,hunting clubs and police to set out future firearm regulations.
A standardised method of licensing, training and evaluating firearm licence holders including practical testing on the range and field..
To hold a firearms licence in New Zealand the person has to have full New Zealand citizen ship of this country and fit the “Fit and Proper Person Test”
Normal licence criteria would include, non semi automatics rifles.
Will the police continue to administer licensing?
We will remove the licensing and administration from the police and set up a separate authority. The gun licence would be additionally attached to the drivers licence as well as a separate licence system.
Will you reintroduce Semi Automatic firearms.
We would reintroduce non sporting 5 shot firearms for hunting and sport. The reintroduction non sporting semi auto type rifles with accessories would come under stricter licensing endorsements and safety criteria. Similar to the requirements of owning pistols in this country. An E class licence with added security and restrictions.
Non-sporting firearms (including vintage and collectors’ firearms) should also be allowed. A C licence endorsements with extra precautions would apply that would also cover the Film industry requirements.
What about the criminals with firearms?
Non firearm licence holders found in possession of a firearm would be subjected to much stricter sentencing which would involve a mandatory prison sentence.
Transparent investigation of any cases where the fit and proper person test was not effectively applied by the police, resulting in harm to persons.
What firearms will be registered?
E and C endorsement guns would be registered on a data base but, non semis automatic guns would not required to be registered.
Forestry Policy
Our Vision: We want to create a country where we are admired by the world not just because of our wonderful natural environment, but because of the way we live. A way of life that protects and enhances that environment.
This policy and associated papers are copyright. NZ Outdoors Party. 2020
The New Zealand Outdoors Party will set criteria to control clearing of land and sediment, debris run off by setting a National Environmental Standard within a National Policy Statement. This will entail ,every person involved in a forestry activity, including land owner; forestry operator, has to be responsible for the environmental impact caused by that activity and hold enough indemnity insurance to cover environmental restoration from damage caused by that activity. We will put policy in place to restrict high quality food producing land including farm land and native bush being converted into forestry blocks.
Policy will be put in place that will enforce 70% of felled logs in New Zealand will have to be processed in NZ, producing a value added product(e.g. Timber) . These policies will restrict and reduce foreign ownership of our forestry industry and open up land locked forestry areas for recreation [while there is no logging activity on that land].
What will you do to stop the adverse environmental effects?
Forestry mess on east Coast beach. Who is responsible. Labour and the Greens say they are fixing it… doesn’t look like to us! Disgusting and the people pay for it while the profits go overseas!
Set up a governing body to manage and control the forestry industry with a focus on protecting the New Zealand environment.
Ensure the relevant authorities have legislative mandate to prosecute for environmental damage caused by forestry activities.
No vegetation clearance within 30 meters of all creeks and waterways
All bare land must be sown in a vegetation cover within 5 days after the trees are removed to protect the top soil erosion.
Classify land into grades that meet criteria suitable for forestry and other agriculture production. (e.g. farming, horticulture )
What about the overseas investment in our forests?
Foreign investors in forestry industry have to take 49% shareholding with NZ the NZ Government
Give incentives for NZ based companies to invest in NZ forestry
Look at buying back 51% to a 100% shareholding in existing foreign owned forestry companies
Review the Overseas Investment Act to ensure there is a strong benefit to New Zealand from foreign purchases of rural and forestry land.
Small, Medium & Family Business Policy
Our Vision: We want to create a country where we are admired by the world not just because of our wonderful natural environment, but because of the way we live. A way of life that protects and enhances that environment.
This policy and associated papers are copyright. NZ Outdoors Party. 2017
The NZ Outdoors Party promotes and encourages family, small and medium New Zealand businesses.
We will reduce compliance and setup costs. We will remove provisional tax for businesses and increase the GST threshold so that people wanting to set up businesses can do so with minimal red tape.
We recognise that many people have brilliant ideas but paperwork is not their strength. These ideas need to be encouraged and supported.
What about business support?
We will encourage business advice bureaus (like citizens advice bureaus) so people wanting to set up businesses can get information they need to make it easy to understand different business structures, and how to get started. We also support business mentor programs.
Will you give preference to NZ Business first?
We will ensure all government agencies use NZ businesses, NZ expertise and NZ products unless no local options are available. We will promote “buy local” programs, including farmers markets, and educate the public on the community benefits of this. We will encourage innovation using wool, hemp and other NZ sourced materials.
Informed Consent - No Compulsory Medication
Our Vision: We want to create a country where we are admired by the world not just because of our wonderful natural environment, but because of the way we live. A way of life that protects and enhances that environment.
This policy and associated papers are copyright. NZ Outdoors Party. 2017
The NZ Outdoors Party is opposed to mandatory medication of water and of individuals.
The NZ Outdoors Party is opposed to mandatory medication of water and of individuals.
We encourage well-being through healthy lifestyle, good nutrition and a connection with nature.
Can we get independent information?
The Outdoors Party promotes access to independent information and informed choice about medications. It is part of our overall philosophy which permeates many of our policies. Encouraging good independent information.
Election Funding Policy - NZ Outdoors Party
Our Vision: We want to create a country where we are admired by the world not just because of our wonderful natural environment, but because of the way we live. A way of life that protects and enhances that environment.
This policy and associated papers are copyright. NZ Outdoors Party. 2017
We cannot have democracy unless our people are educated on all options that are available and the implications of those options. Currently almost all of election campaign funds are allocated to the two major parties. Other registered electoral parties get only a very tiny percentage of available funding. this is not sufficient to make their policies known to New Zealand voters. in addition the mainstream media tends to focus on the policies of the two main parties. In addition many political parties are funded by multinational and other corporations and by overseas persons who have vested interests in manipulating New Zealand policies for the own interests rather than for the good of New Zealanders.
Will you allow donations designed to buy influence?
The Outdoors Party will prohibit any electoral funding or donation by any person or entity that is not a registered voter on a New Zealand electoral roll. Any donation over $100 must be declared and must be made only by a person who is a registered member of that political party. This is to prevent individuals from effectively buying policies from multiple parties. This means that no funds can be contributed by any corporations, overseas persons or any other entity that is not a real person and registered to vote in New Zealand.
Will you change the way electoral funding is distributed?
There will be a review of the current mechanisms of allocating funding to ensure that they are much more fairly allocated between all registered political parties.
Cannabis Law Reform
We totally support medical CBD products and believe the industry should consist of small New Zealand companies and we would resist the expansion or capture of this product by big Phama or the imposition of excessive licensing fees.
We support the medicinal use of cannabis plant, CBD
and other cannabis products for humans, pets and livestock and
acknowledge the important role of cannabinoids in supplementing the
endocannabinoid system and promoting wellbeing.
We support home grown medicinal cannabis and will encourage small New Zealand owned companies. We discourage the capture of cannabis by Big Phama and the imposition of excessive licensing fees that will block access to family and community based suppliers.
We also believe that the growing of limited home supply of marijuana should not be a criminal offense however we do believe the sale of marijuana should be legislated against.
The New Zealand Outdoors Party will support the will of the people after the 2020 referendum.
Policy on 5G
Main 5G cell tower (USA)
The
NZ Outdoors Party seeks a moratorium on the allocation, auction and
rollout of 5G spectrum licences until there has been a full public
inquiry into the costs and benefits of 5G, effects on human health and
the natural environment and how these can best be avoided or managed.
The
NZ Outdoors Party is concerned there has been no public conversation
about the risks and benefits of 5G (5th Generation mobile technology)
and that much new 5G infrastructure has been exempted from usual RMA
processes.
This
means there has been no informed consent to the rollout of 5G in our
communities and no steps have been taken to avoid, remedy or mitigate
adverse effects on communities or the environment.
In May 2011 the WHO/IARC classified RFEMR as a Class 2B carcinogen. During a recent tour of NZ, world expert Professor Dariusz Lezczynski advised that at the WHO’s next review it is likely that RFEMR will be reclassified at least as a Class2A (probable) carcinogen.
Many
other international scientific and medical experts have warned about
health and environmental harm from 5G and international insurers have
refused cover for RFEMR.
With cell
towers scheduled to go up every 100 meters in the street and high
intensity RFEMR emissions threatening human and environmental wellbeing,
the outdoors environment of NZ will change forever.
The
Outdoors Party urges the Government to postpone the allocation of any
further 5G spectrum until their has been a full public inquiry by a
competent independent panel into the risks and benefits of 5G and long
term scientific, medical and environmental assessments on the impacts of
5G in New Zealand, or worldwide, on human health and the wider
biosphere.
.
Let’s educate ourselves and then let the people of New Zealand make an informed decision on the future of 5G
Cell tower every 100 meters in your street. Radio frequency beamed directly into your or the kids bedroom.
