3. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Co-Leader—Green) Link to this
to the Minister for the Environment
Does he agree with chapter 13, dumped from the report on the state of the environment, that “significant intensification of land use, particularly pastoral land use” is “arguably the largest pressure today on New Zealand’s land, freshwaters and coastal oceans, and atmosphere”; if not, what does he believe is the largest pressure on New Zealand’s land, freshwaters and coastal oceans, and atmosphere?
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister for the Environment) Link to this
As I am sure Dr Norman told the member, because he was there, both myself and the Ministry for the Environment officials spoke at length about the damning facts in the main body of this report and the summary document, which clearly showed that this was the case. If the member has not spoken to Dr Norman about it, I recommend that she opens the report, just to the foreword, and reads my comments in there saying that the report highlights the decline in water quality in New Zealand “as a consequence of the increasing intensity of agricultural production.” Clearly, that is the case.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
In that case, which conclusions specifically was he referring to when he told the media on Monday that chapter 13 was scrapped because it made a series of conclusions that were not strictly supported by the facts, and on what peer-reviewed reports is he basing that conclusion, or does he just disagree with the specialists who wrote chapter 13?
Hon TREVOR MALLARD Link to this
That is the very area—because it is forward-looking rather than backward-looking, as the report is—that was outside the scope and actually not matched by the facts in the report.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. My question asked specifically which conclusions the Minister was referring to, and he has not answered that at all.
Madam SPEAKERHon TREVOR MALLARD Link to this
It is the conclusion that the member was referring to in her question.
Moana MackeyHon TREVOR MALLARD Link to this
The Labour-led Government is already taking a lot of leadership in this area. There is a substantial work programme and a range of initiatives in place to help us reduce or mitigate the impact on our environment: the emissions trading scheme, support for household energy efficiency, support for solar heating, support for waste reduction and recycling initiatives, and environmental standards on air and water, through to the multi-million dollar funds for research into sustainable primary production and for sustainable land management. The list is actually much longer than that, but I could get in trouble with Madam Speaker if I went through it all.
Hon Dr Nick Smith Link to this
Why did the Minister, in response to National’s policy announcement last year of 5-yearly reports on the state of the environment, say: “Oh, that’s Government policy.”, when Cabinet minutes from 2002 show that despite the Ministry for the Environment recommending a 5-year report at that time, Cabinet made a decision not to do so?
Hon TREVOR MALLARD Link to this
I was not aware until the member announced on the day that the report was released that the National Party had any policy in the area.
Hon Dr Nick Smith Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. My question was: “Why did the Government, if its policy was to produce a 5-yearly report, reject the recommendation of the Ministry for the Environment in 2002 not to produce a 5-yearly report?” The answer I got from the Minister was totally irrelevant to that.
Hon TREVOR MALLARD Link to this
The transcript will show that the member prefaced his question with a remark about National Party policy for 5-yearly reports, to which I responded. If the member’s memory is as short as that, it is pretty sad.
Hon TREVOR MALLARD Link to this
As I indicated on the day, it is the Government’s policy to now produce these reports every 5 years, and I am glad the Opposition agrees with us.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
Can the Minister tell the House how long it will now take to get national environmental standards on water quality—as recommended by chapter 13 and as referred to in his previous answer—how long it will then take for regional councils to implement the standards in plans and consents, and how long it will then take for water quality to improve?
Hon TREVOR MALLARD Link to this
I can tell the member that the programme will have some draft standards for circulation in May or June. It is a process that requires a board and submissions, and it is likely to be next year before regional councils actually start their work on it. On the question of how long it takes, the advice I have had is that it does depend on the area. I am told, for example, that in the Taupō area some of the runoff does not actually get to the lake for 40 or 50 years, so it is 40 or 50 years in those areas before the water starts improving. Apparently in some areas in the South Island it can be a matter of hundreds of years until the improvements that are made actually flow through into the rivers.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
Was chapter 13 pulled because it clearly points the finger at agriculture and recommends a “polluter pays” principle at a time when the Minister’s Government is subsidising the farming industry’s greenhouse gas emissions to the tune of $1 million every working day and allowing it to pollute our rivers for free?
Hon TREVOR MALLARD Link to this
The chapter was pulled for two reasons: first, that the qualitative comments contained in the draft section were not backed up by the facts contained in the report itself; second, the substantive comments being made were actually right through the report.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
Was the chapter pulled, then, because although the Minister’s Government proudly proclaims its biggest road-building binge in history, chapter 13 states that doubling the distance travelled by vehicles on our roads over the past 20 years is putting pressure on the environment and human health?
Hon TREVOR MALLARD Link to this
The chapter was pulled because the qualitative comments contained in the draft report were not backed up by the facts contained in the report itself, and the substantive comments being made were carried through the report itself.
Hon Dr Nick Smith Link to this
I seek leave for the member’s bill in my name, tabled with the Clerk’s Office 8 months ago, to be tabled and set down for first reading on the next members’ day.