11
March, 2009 - Environment Minister Nick
Smith today stated that five programmes
led by the Ministry for the Environment
would be discontinued or scaled back to
ensure the Government could afford to meet
its priorities for the environment.
"The previous Labour
Government left a $26 million hole in the
budget for the Ministry for the Environment.
That meant a number of important work programmes
like waste and Climate Change would be unfunded
from 1 July this year.
"This Government
has been forced to take a close look at
all the work the Ministry is leading and
ensure it makes a real difference to our
environment. Work on Climate Change, freshwater
management, biodiversity, waste management
and air quality are the Government's priorities.
"The Government
also wants to ensure that reform of the
Resource Management Act and a redesign and
implementation of an Emissions Trading Scheme
are a priority for the Ministry.
"Programmes instigated
by the previous Government did little. The
Carbon Neutral Public Service was just a
feel good slogan cooked up by the previous
Government. Its only achievement was to
cost this country millions of dollars. Ironically,
since the programme was launched by the
previous Government, emissions from the
Ministry for the Environment increased from
656 tonnes in 2005/06 to 766 tonnes in 2007/08.
"As for the Govt3
programme, I have heard of public servants
going to training sessions to learn how
to best separate their recycling. This Government
expects public servants to use their judgement
on what is best for the environment. Caring
for the environment should be business as
usual.
"The work the Bioethics
Council was doing was somewhat duplicated
by other Government committees. This included
the Ministry of Health's National Advisory
Committee and Advisory Committee on Assisted
Reproductive Technology (ACART), and the
Environmental Risk Management Authority
and its Maori advisory Committee, Nga Kaihautu
Tikanga Taiao. It makes no sense for multiple
Government agencies to do essentially the
same work.
"With regards to
the Recycling in Public Places Initiative,
this was a three-year programme that will
now end a year earlier on June 30 this year.
Public place recycling will continue with
the intention it will be funded from the
waste levy under the Waste Minimisation
Act that comes into effect from 1 July.
"The Household
Sustainability programme will be integrated
with the Sustainable Business Development
Programme. The focus will be on making goods
that are better for the environment.
"This Government's
priority is to invest in frontline services
that really matter for New Zealanders not
expensive slogans."
