Move on orders - make a submission!

 Our kaupapa this week is Rest is Resistance. But we also want to name the hoha many people are feeling right now - it's hard to rest when this government continues to push through legislation that requires us to constantly show up and resist, rest is resistance, but so is protecting our communities from policies that will cause harm. More and more, we're being asked to do both at the same time.

SO e te whānau, there is currently a public submission process open on the proposed Move On Orders legislation. This is your chance to have a say on whether you support or oppose it - so disagree.  At Home Ground, we'll be making a submission and we'll be straight up opposing it.

Our opposition comes from years of working alongside women experiencing homelessness, addiction, violence and systemic exclusion, and for some of us at HG, from living through it too. We want to share why we believe these laws will cause harm, particularly for women, and how you can have your say.

Move On Orders are being presented as a solution to visible homelessness and social issues in public spaces. But from our perspective, they don't solve these problems. they simply move them somewhere less visible.

For many women, the street is not a choice; it's a survival strategy. Sometimes a busy street, town centre or public space is the safest place available. Visibility matters. Being around other people can reduce the risk of violence, exploitation and harm.

Move On Orders remove that agency. They push women away from populated spaces and into parks, alleyways and unlit areas where they are more isolated and vulnerable. This legislation trades the discomfort of passers by for the safety of some of our city's most at risk women.

When people are ‘moved on’, outreach workers, support services and whānau lose track of them. The relationships that can lead to housing, healthcare and stability rely on knowing where people are. Displacement severs those fragile connections.

We're also concerned about the criminalisation of homelessness. Making homelessness less visible does not end homelessness. It creates pathways into fines, criminal records and further exclusion. We know criminalisation causes harm and closes doors to long term wellbeing.

These impacts won't be felt equally. Around four in five women experiencing homelessness in Aotearoa identify as Māori. Laws that punish people for conditions created by colonisation are racist in both intent and impact.

And importantly, this is not what communities are asking for. At Newtown Festival this year, we spoke with more than 150 people about what makes a thriving community. People talked about warmth, inclusion, connection and looking out for one another. They wanted communities where everyone belongs - not policies that push struggling people out of sight.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words! Our special feedback box proudly on display, along with our community Lei - at Newtwon Festival 2026.

If you oppose this legislation, we encourage you to make a submission.

Keep it short and punchy. State clearly that you oppose the Bill and explain why. Your lived experience, values and observations matter. You don't need flash legal language or a long document.

If you can, sign up to make an oral submission too. Decision makers need to hear directly, face to face, from communities about the real world impacts these laws will have.

And don't do a submission alone. Real change happens through relationships. Instead of just sharing a link online or in your group chats, choose three people and help them make a submission too. Sit together, host a submission party, get it done, and follow up.

Short, honest submissions get read. Your voice matters. And when enough of us speak together, people in power have a much harder time looking away.

We've got until 2 July to make submissions. As we were putting this together and trying to find the submission link ourselves, the parliamentary website kept crashing and not loading - which felt pretty on brand, to be honest!

To make a submission, head to www.parliament.nz  and look for "Make a Submission". We found it wasn't very easy to navigate, so we also suggest heading to commongrace.nz  who have some really helpful guides and direct links that make the process much easier.

Rest is resistance. Looking after each other is resistance. And sometimes, making a submission is resistance too!!!