National MP Nikki Kaye has accepted a petition from a woman and her sheep which asks the Environment Court to reconsider a planned marina on Waiheke Island.
Sue Pawley travelled to Wellington from Auckland with her sheep 'Multi' and handed the petition to Kaye on Wednesday outside Parliament.
"We caught the ferry to Auckland and we didn't know how Multi would be on the ride because she's never been off the island before," Pawley told Newshub.
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A sign draped over Multi read: "I'm going to Parliament to save my friends the penguins!"
Pawley's petition on change.org has gathered more than 9000 signatures.
It asks the Environment Court to reconsider granting consent in May for Kennedy Point Boatharbour Ltd to build a marina in Waiheke's Putiki Bay.
"Multi and I started a petition because we weren't getting anywhere and Multi captures people," Pawley told Newshub.
"When she's walking around town on her lead people say, 'What are you doing today?' and that sort of thing. The tourists, in particular, go 'whoa' and they want to pet her and that."
Her petition says the proposed marina "poses a serious threat to the fragile marine ecosystems" in the Hauraki Gulf and in Putiki Bay.
It's understood the development would take up 7.3 hectares of public space in Putiki Bay and includes a floating car park for 72 cars.
"A floating car park on concrete pontoons poses a serious risk given the increasing severity of weather events on the island," the petition says.
Kaye, MP for Auckland Central, said it's a "massive deal to come all the way down" to Wellington.
She also acknowledged that Multi had played a role in "getting these signatures".
Newshub.
