Whatever the makeup of our next government, environmental literacy deserves a lasting place on its education agenda.

I would like to see a cross-party commitment to Education for Sustainability as a core part of every child’s learning, supported by clear expectations, teacher development and opportunities to learn outdoors.

This is a responsibility shared across Parliament. The knowledge young people need to understand their world should have continuity beyond a single electoral term.

Wilding pines are often framed as an ecological inconvenience — an unfortunate by-product of past land-use decisions, slowly creeping across high country and conservation land. On Tākaka Hill, and across the South Island, the reality is far more confronting.