Iwi/Maori Welcome Government Headline Announcements On ETS

The Government headline announcements on amendments to the ETS have been broadly welcomed by Iwi/Maori according to the Chairman for the Climate Change Iwi Leadership Group Dr. Apirana Mahuika.

The government's choices on policy settings to slow down the ETS are prudent and responsible given both the challenging times for Maori business and, the difficulties faced by our Maori whanau and hapu communities says Dr. Mahuika.

While the Government has slowed down the ETS to keep pace with other countries climate change program development and, ensure that our Maori businesses are not put at a competitive disadvantage relative to our major trading partners, it is important that the government has not fundamentally changed direction in terms of ETS policy.

This would have led to huge uncertainty for Maori business frustrating planning for future investment says Mr. Chris Insley, advisor to the Climate Change Iwi Leadership group.

In our regional hui around the country, the single biggest and priority issue for Iwi/Maori has been the allocation of 2nd tranche NZU's. The government decision to allocate these units is welcomed by Iwi/Maori say's Dr. Mahuika.

These allocations to our Maori owners of forests and lands are not only good for Maori but also good for all New Zealanders. The proceeds of these allocations will be reinvested in time into our local communities, regional and national economies through our Maori businesses said Dr. Mahuika.

The introduction of forestry offsetting as an option is welcomed too as it provides a mechanism for Maori forestry landowners to explore highest and best landuse where currently our Maori forestry landowners are effectively locked into forestry forever or, bear crippling deforestation liabilities.

We are very keen to work through the detail of how offsetting will be introduced as different Iwi have strong views particular to their regions. This issue has overlaps into the parallel discussion on water that is equally important to Iwi/Maori says Mr. Insley.

Recognition of our indigenous forests for both their carbon capture storage and biodiversity attributes was raised repeatedly with us in regional hui across the country. Minister Groser has agreed to work with us towards appropriate options to recognize the role of these forests that currently are not covered by the ETS says Dr. Mahuika.

We have argued consistently on the need for equitable access by Iwi/Maori to the substantial Government investment into science, research and new technology. While our forests do play an important role in the move to a low carbon economy, the long-term solution will reside in new technologies. In the first instance, new technologies to reduce emissions from our Maori farms and why we welcome the government decision to defer the entry of agriculture into the ETS as these technologies just do not exist currently says Mr. Insley.

We are actively drawing the attention of Government to the very strong and related linkage we see between the ETS and the Governments Growth and Trade Agenda's through the development of new technologies in energy (renewable energies) and other low emission services and products especially off the back of our significant primary sector interests Mr. Insley says. Investment in these new technologies must be a priority for Government.

We have opened discussions with leaders of New Zealand Universities and Crown Research Institutes to meet with us to discuss and develop research proposals that address the specific issues raised with us by Iwi/Maori across the country in our regional hui.

Our immediate reaction to the Governments headline announcements on ETS policy setting amendments is positive but, the devil will be in the detail says Dr. Mahuika. We have signaled to Minister Tim Groser and Government officials our keenness to engage quickly to work through the detail.

ENDS

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