Thousands of people have marched in central Auckland to protest the Government's proposed Conservation Amendment Bill.
The bill is intended to modernise the management of conservation land, enabling more development, but Greenpeace executive director Dr Russel Norman said it would allow the Government to sell off conservation land, weaken environmental protections and put short-term profit ahead of the future.
Norman said today's protest was an unmistakable warning to the Government.
"If Luxon wants a fight over conservation land, he has one," he said. "This huge turnout today shows people are not prepared to stand by, while a government tries to rewrite conservation law to make those places easier to exploit."
Greenpeace was supported at the march by Forest and Bird.
"The message to every political party from the people of New Zealand is clear – if you stand up for nature, we will stand with you, but if you sell off our conservation land, weaken environmental protections or put short-term profit ahead of our future, we will not stand by and let it happen," Forest & Bird policy and advocacy group manager Richard Capie said.
Greenpeace claimed about 35,000 people attended the protest, although police reported a maximum of 6000, with no incidents resulting.
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