Smith Nick: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Smith Nick: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:674;Page:20393] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment) 
: 
 I am pleased to speak on Vote Environment. I find it somewhat extraordinary that the only members taking calls are Government members which I think is a real endorsement of how good a shape environmental policy is progressing in. Let me take a couple of areas where this Government is making real inroads. 
The first of those is in respect of fresh water. I think it is broadly acknowledged that New Zealand needs to take a significant step up in the way in which we manage New Zealand’s freshwater resource a resource with which New Zealand is very richly blessed. We are doing three particular things in the area of freshwater management. The first is that we are implementing the new National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management that came into effect on 1 July. It is the third national policy statement under the Resource Management Act that we have done in the last year and I remind members of the history which is that only two national policy statements were done under the Resource Management Act in the previous 19 years. We have done three in the last year; previously two were done in 19 years. 
The fact is that we need to make an investment in freshwater bodies around New Zealand in order to clean them up. We have very important work occurring with regard to the Rotorua lakes Taupo and the Waikato and there are other freshwater bodies on which we need to take an initiative. This Budget provides for an additional $15 million bringing the Government’s total investment in freshwater clean-ups to $265 million. To put it very squarely in terms of the level of importance that this Government gives to fresh water we are spending five times as much on freshwater clean-up programmes as the previous Government did—five times as much. 
Then we have the very important collaborative work occurring with the Land and Water Forum. The Government needs to do a big piece of policy work over the next 12 months to make sure that we have the full framework that is needed to ensure we better manage our fresh water. 
I will also talk about clean air which also goes to the core of New Zealand’s “clean green” brand. Last week I was delighted to release the results showing that New Zealand’s air in terms of particulate pollution is at its cleanest since records began. For the last 10 years we have been monitoring the level of particulate pollution and it is at its best level ever with the new national environmental standards that we have to meet by 2016 and 2020. The very important issue in that regard is that we must invest in the practical measures that will clean up our air. This Budget provides funding so that over the 3 years of this term in office we will have spent $26 million on the practical work needed to convert households to cleaner heating. That is 12 times as much as was spent in the previous term of Parliament. This is why we are doing it and why it is important: the health advice is that 1100 New Zealanders die prematurely each year as a consequence of air pollution. We need to get the pollution level down. The combination of the practical programme to convert houses to clean heating toughening the standards on vehicles and improving fuel standards is making a material difference. 
I am confident that with the measures in this Budget and the announcements that I made last week about reducing the compliance costs of running two different programmes in Vote Energy and Vote Environment we will be able to convert another 1250 homes over and above those I have already spoken of to clean heating. Again that will help to make sure we get that progress in meeting those standards by 2016 and 2020. 
Important initiatives on waste and contaminated sites are in this vote. The policy work associated with the Environmental Protection Authority and with getting proper environmental regulation in the exclusive economic zone is all work that we are doing with the Ministry for the Environment to really make sure that New Zealand lives up to the “clean green” brand with the sort of practical environmental approach that we are taking with our blue-green agenda which is being consistently advanced on clean water clean air contaminated sites waste and the like. 
Vote agreed to.