NZ's sustainable future

No Minister No Portfolio

Helen Clark Head and Shoulders
This is an abridged version of the Prime Minister's Statement to Parliament speech on 13 February 2007

New Zealand today is a stronger, fairer, and more confident nation than it was seven years ago. But there is always more to do.

New Zealand's future is dependent on long term sustainable strategies for our economy, society, environment, culture and way of life.

Sustainability
The quest for sustainability has taken on a new urgency because of the scale of the environmental challenge the world faces. The future economic costs of doing nothing are dire.

Without a commitment to greater sustainability in our resource use and way of life, we risk damaging our environment and exposing our economy to significant risk. That's why I have called for boldness in our approach to these issues.

I believe New Zealand can aim to be the first nation to be truly sustainable -- across the four pillars of the economy, society, the environment, and nationhood.

I believe we can aspire to be carbon neutral in our economy and way of life.

I believe that in the years to come, the pride we take in our quest for sustainability and carbon neutrality will define our nation, just as our quest for a nuclear free world has over the past twenty-three years.

More than any other developed nation, New Zealand needs to go the extra mile to lower greenhouse gas emissions and increase sustainability. This will strengthen our position against competitors who are all too ready to use against us the distance our goods must travel to market, and the distance tourists must travel to us.

The time has come to implement a biofuel sales obligation at 3.4 per cent of the annual energy content of total annual petrol and diesel sales by 2012.

The government also intends to lead by example by moving the public service towards carbon neutrality.

This year the first group of six departments will commit to carbon neutrality plans. By early next year, the Ministries for the Environment, Health, and Economic Development, the Departments of Inland Revenue and Conservation, and Treasury will have reduced their carbon footprint significantly. Their objective will be to reduce their department's emissions, but at the point that it is not feasible to reduce further, they will offset them; for example, by supporting tree planting on Crown land, which will also contribute to our sustainable land management policies.

All other core public service departments will develop and begin to implement carbon neutrality plans within the next year. The objective is to have the public service on the path to carbon neutrality by the end of 2012.

We intend to use the government's purchasing power to help drive innovation, cleaner production, and improved cost effectiveness over the whole life cycle of goods and services. We will be developing a single procurement policy for government, requiring sustainably produced goods and services to be used whenever possible.

As the VIP car fleet of the Department of Internal Affairs is replaced, vehicles which are more fuel efficient and have lower emissions will be acquired. It is estimated that this will lead to 550 fewer tonnes of CO2 being emitted, 400,000 fewer litres of fuel being used, and $500,000 being saved over three years.

A big priority this year is to raise the awareness of households about sustainable practice in energy and water use, in transport, and waste disposal.

Business
Business has a big contribution to make to improving New Zealand's overall sustainability performance, and can take up the commercial opportunities which the worldwide interest in sustainability creates.

During this year we will be advancing new proposals to improve waste management. They will include funding the construction of more recycling facilities for use in public places.

Sustainability is central to our government's programme across all three key policy themes:

  • economic transformation,
  • families young and old, and
  • strengthening national identity.

This year's Budget will outline the government's decisions on new settings for business taxation, aimed at increasing innovation, investment, and growth.

Export Year 2007 is underway, with

  • extra funding for market development grants,
  • more targeted trade missions, and
  • business-government collaboration around export focused events and forums.

      2007 is a big year for trade policy. The Doha Round of the WTO is showing signs of life again, and our Minister of Trade and officials are actively engaged.

      Families, young and old
      In policy for families, young and old, this year, the government has major programmes rolling out and others in development.

      In health, Elective services will increase across the board by about ten per cent this year, and nearly all district health boards are already eligible for extra funding.

      July 1 will bring 25 - 44 year olds into the Primary Health Care Strategy, completing the coverage of all age groups. As with the earlier extensions to the scheme, doctors' fees for this age group will reduce substantially, and their prescription charges will drop from $15 to $3 per item.

      In housing, income related and fair rents for state housing remain fundamental to Labour. This year will see big moves to

      • big moves to upgrade the social housing stock;
      • moves to increase the supply of affordable housing, and
      • decisions about the shared equity scheme for first home owners.

      Home ownership has always been part of the Kiwi dream. On 1 July the new KiwiSaver Scheme will begin, encouraging savings for first home ownership, as well as for retirement.

      Legislation for the Supergold Card for superannuitants and the Veterans' card will be passed this year, with the cards available from August.

      There is no doubt that our policies have made a big difference, with the numbers of children living in households below the poverty line decreasing dramatically.

      Jobs
      At least 60,000 children were lifted out of income poverty between 2001 and 2004, and another 70,000 will have been lifted out with the full implementation of Working for Families after 1 April this year. On that date, all families eligible for Family Support will receive another ten dollars per child a week.

      Over the past seven years, the number of working age beneficiaries has decreased by over 28 per cent; that is by close to 115,000. Significant changes in legislation, policy, and services are being made this year so that we can support even more beneficiaries into work.

      Law and order
      We are also directly targeting violent and destructive behaviour in the community. Seven government departments are involved, working closely with local government, NGOs, schools, and communities, including supportive businesses which are backing good programmes.

      Legislation now before Parliament aims to deliver greater consistency in sentencing, greater truth in sentencing through reform to parole laws, and more effective community based sentences for low risk offenders.

      The recent violent offending by a prisoner on parole, leading to murder and the infliction of serious injury, has shocked our nation. The government is giving serious consideration to allowing the police, in addition to the Community Probation Service, to make a recall application to the Parole Board where they have serious concerns about a parolee's behaviour. This proposal for enhancing the ability to recall prisoners from parole is aimed at improving public safety and security.

      National identity
      Reinforcing and celebrating New Zealand's unique national identity is very important to my government.

      In this globalised world, we are determined that there will be a place for a small, smart, inclusive, creative, and sustainable nation like ours.

      Supporting resolution of conflict and lowering tension in the Pacific is a top priority, with particular attention being paid this year to the situation in Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Tonga.

      Reconciliation at home between Maori and Crown matters too. The historical Treaty settlement process has considerable momentum. This year the government will be working with over twenty claimant groups, each with a number of claims.

      A sustainable future
      My annual statement to Parliament this year is a call to action on sustainability across all areas of our society. New Zealanders value our country's clean and green, fair and inclusive status, and our first world living standards -- and farsighted, sustainable strategies can lock that in for future generations.

      And only this Labour-led Government offers the leadership, the vision, and the substance to do that.

      Helen Clark
      Prime Minister
      February 2007

      Other ministerial announcements linked to the Prime Minister's Statement to Parliament