Around 100 North Canterbury land owners have had their farms gazetted into mataitai fishing reserves as of September without being informed or consulted.

Virtue-signalling trumped rational debate when the Hastings District Council voted 10-4 on Thursday to enable four members of the Maori Joint Committee to sit and vote on the council’s four standing committees. The vote went through after an email campaign from Hobson's Pledge encouraging councillors to vote against the motion. Councillors received over 100 emails each.