Protecting our environment and our way of life
Hon John Key
New Zealand's environment is at the core of our quality of life, our national identity, and the reason why so many people choose to migrate here.
From Cape Reinga to the Bluff, there is little doubt that we enjoy some of the world's most pristine and accessible natural beauty. Our clean and green brand has seen New Zealand become a top tourism destination.
But good environmental practice is not just important for protecting our natural heritage and our tourism trade. It is also crucial for lifting New Zealand's game and securing the sort of future we want for our children.
Our environment is why many ethnic people have chosen New Zealand as their new home - to take advantage of our wide open spaces and provide a better life for their children.
During our first year in office, the National-led Government has worked hard to provide real leadership on environmental issues, and we have moved to implement a raft of policies that balance our environmental responsibilities with our economic opportunities.
Over the past year we have set out clear environmental priorities for the Ministry for the Environment: climate change, freshwater management, biodiversity protection, oceans, air quality, outdoor recreation, waste management, and contaminated site clean-ups.
As part of our commitment to environment management, we have established the Environmental Protection Agency. This will be the vehicle for providing clearer central Government leadership around many of the environmental issues facing New Zealand.
National's approach to climate change is about making sure New Zealand plays its part in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.
But we're also realistic about the costs, the impacts on jobs, and what a small country like New Zealand with a large agricultural sector can achieve. That is why we have made changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Over the past few months we've put a lot of work into making the New Zealand ETS workable and affordable.
Our changes to the ETS will halve the electricity and fuel price increases that the previous Labour Government was planning. They will also encourage businesses and families to be more energy efficient, which will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
National remains committed to pursuing sound, practical environment policies to achieve emission reduction.
As well as improving the Emissions Trading Scheme, we have launched other programmes that are already delivering for New Zealanders, including our $323 million Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart initiative.
The scheme provides grants of up to $1800 towards a third of the cost of insulation or a clean-heating device for houses built before 2000. Over 180,000 homes throughout New Zealand will have access to these grants regardless of income.
This scheme is proving very popular. About 20,000 homes across the country have been insulated since its launch in July. Already, it's improving energy efficiency, reducing the cost of energy for households, and reducing health risks.
We also understand the value of renewable fuels. That's why we've invested $36 million into a biodiesel grants programme, promoting biodiesel production to kick start the industry.
And we've passed legislation that exempts electric vehicles from road user charges to encourage their uptake.
These new policies provide a refreshing approach to new energy technologies that are good for our economy and good our environment.
We're proud of our environmental initiatives so far, but there is a lot of work ahead of us.
National has an ambitious agenda for the environment, and you will see more environmental policies rolled out in the coming years. Our environment and our clean and green credentials are too important for us to rest on our laurels.
