Auchinvole Chris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Auchinvole Chris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:670;Page:16729] 
9. 
CHRIS AUCHINVOLE (National—West Coast - Tasman) 
 to the  
Minister for Climate Change Issues 
: Has implementation of the moderated emissions trading scheme last year had any impact on renewable energy and forestry investment? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for Climate Change Issues) 
: 
 Yes there have been marked changes in both sectors in response to our moderated emissions trading scheme. The year 2010 saw a record high amount of renewable electricity projects consented with 800 megawatts approved—45 percent geothermal 40 percent wind and 15 percent hydroelectric. This contrasts with the pre - emissions trading scheme period under the previous Government when over two-thirds of new generation was fossil fuelled. There has also been a positive turn-round in forestry investment. Whereas we saw 37000 hectares of deforestation in the 3 years preceding the emissions trading scheme we have seen a shift to afforestation of an estimated 6000 hectares since the scheme has been in place. 
Chris Auchinvole 
: How have changes the Government made to the emissions trading scheme impacted on increases in fuel and power prices and has the Minister seen reports of any policy changes that would increase costs for consumers and businesses? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The Government has been very mindful of costs for consumers and that is why our changes to the emissions trading scheme supported by the Maori Party halve the impact on the cost of living and particularly on energy prices. I have seen policy that states that the emissions trading scheme should be scaled up to the full obligation immediately. This would put up power prices by another 5 percent and fuel prices by a further 3.5c per litre. Members opposite need to be careful about cost of living issues when their stated policy is to immediately increase power prices by 5 percent and fuel prices by 3.5 percent. 
Brendon Burns 
: How can he claim that National’s moderated emissions trading scheme is responsible for the 800 megawatts of new renewable generation consented in the last year when it takes several years to plan a consent for new generational capacity; are these new generation plants not really just the result of Labour’s emissions trading scheme? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: National had a very clear policy at the last election that did not deal with just the emissions trading scheme but also the consenting process. There are examples of cases where it took up to 9 years to get consent for a renewable power station. Last year the changes that Chris Auchinvole and the Local Government and Environment Committee advanced resulted in a decision-making process of just 9 months. That is the biggest single contributor to the 800 megawatts of new capacity that was approved last year. 
Chris Auchinvole 
: Has the Minister seen any incorrect claims about New Zealand’s climate change targets and record on forestry? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Yes I have. The first was a press release on 4 February that claimed that New Zealand’s forest loss was the second worst in the world. But the author failed to read the actual report which referred to New Caledonia not New Zealand. The second was a press release on 10 February—again bagging New Zealand—that claimed that our minus 50 percent by 2050 target actually amounted to an increase. But it involved a miscalculation of 31 million tonnes it overlooked the United Nations’ rules and it was embarrassingly withdrawn from the Green Party’s website. I urge the Green Party to stop bad-mouthing their own country with false and inaccurate claims about our climate change policies.