Friday, 3 June 2005

United Future Environment Policy For immediate release

UF targets cars, houses and the great outdoors

People would be paid to get their old bombs off the road under United Future's environment policy jointly launched today by the party's leader, Peter Dunne, and environment spokesman, Larry Baldock.

"It wouldn't be a huge amount of money, maybe a few hundred dollars, but it would be an incentive to get that clapped-out old wreck off the road and to stop it polluting our environment," Mr Dunne said, adding that the initiative typified United Future's philosophy of common sense conservation and was why it was affiliated to Outdoor Recreation NZ.

Also in that vein was the 'no regrets' policy of subsidising landowners from the country's Kyoto carbon tax credits to plant trees around and along the nation's rivers, streams and waterways.

"It's 'no regrets' because its driven by more than signing up to international protocols; it has a double purpose in cleaning and preserving our waterways from agricultural run-off that pollutes them with nitrates," Mr Baldock said.

"We're talking about a win-win situation here, and it would certainly be approved of by all who love the outdoors," he said. United Future is affiliated with

United Future has consistently opposed joining Kyoto ahead of our major trading partners and still remains strongly opposed to a carbon tax.

Domestically, United Future would continue to promote energy efficient homes and technology, with greater funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), with more emphasis on home insulation.

"United Future has had EECA funding doubled for the installation of solar water-heating, and we would be pushing for similar moves across the energy conservation area," Mr Baldock said.

United Future would also require all dwellings being sold to be assessed for energy efficiency, such as insulation, double glazing, heating methods and use of solar energy.

"Such an assessment would be at minimal cost, would have important energy conservation advantages in the long term and would become a useful selling tool for owners," Mr Baldock said.

ENDS

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