Hon Dr Nick Smith
Minister for the Environment

3 March 2012
Media Release

Building a Bluegreen Future launched at Forum

National today launched Building a Bluegreen Future, an environment policy paper reporting on the progress of the National-led Government over the past three years and setting out the next steps to be taken in this term.

“This plan is about bringing together policies that support a strong growing economy with sound stewardship of our natural environment. It has been put together by National’s 18-strong Bluegreens Caucus and covers our work on climate change, energy, transport, biosecurity, freshwater, biodiversity, oceans, recycling, contaminated sites, air quality, and outdoor recreation,” Minister for the Environment Nick Smith said at the launch of the paper at the Bluegreens’ 13th Annual Forum at Lake Pupuke on the North Shore.

”We are proud of our record in Government. New Zealand is planting more trees, building more renewable power stations, insulating more houses, cleaning up more lakes and rivers, converting more homes to clean heating and recycling more waste.”

“We have an ambitious legislative plan for improving the environment: We will pass by 1 July 2012 new laws to protect New Zealand’s huge ocean area known as the Exclusive Economic Zone. We will be making improvements to the Emissions Trading Scheme by 1 January 2013 to ensure New Zealand continues to do its fair share on the global problem of climate change. We will also pass new laws on environmental reporting and marine reserves.”

“We also have an exciting programme of initiatives to advance this term covering the clean-up and better management of lakes and rivers, electrification of rail, extending incentives for electric cars, improving biosecurity and biodiversity, recycling TVs as part of the digital switchover, managing contaminated sites, and implementing tighter rules to improve air quality.”

“The policy paper updates a similar document A Bluegreen Vision for New Zealand produced by National in opposition in 2006, which formed the blueprint for our environment programme during our first term in Government.”

“These practical environment policies are right for the times. New Zealanders want balanced policies that will create jobs and improve living standards while ensuring we protect our clean green brand and great Kiwi lifestyle,” says Dr Smith.

National’s environmental policy paper, Building a Bluegreen Future, is available online here:
http://www.national.org.nz/bluegreens/Bluegreen_Future.pdf

Ends

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Housing accords legislation passes first reading - Legislation For Housing Accords, Land Supply - Housing package improves affordability, access
• Greens - Budget numbers show National’s failure on home affordability
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Budget 2013: Housing intervention needed
• Out-Link - Gareth Morgan: Response to housing problem limp-wristed
• Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

ALSO:

• Parliament Today - Parliament Resumes To Pass Budget Bills
• Labour - Government to extend protest ban
• Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
• 2010 image via: Pacific.Scoop - Media watcher gives NZ press nil score card for China oil spill coverage