Nick
Smith10 February, 2009 - Environment and
Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith
today welcomed the announcement that electric
cars would be commercially available in
New Zealand.
"This is the beginning
of an exciting energy revolution as significant
as the economic transformation from the
steam engine to the internal combustion
engine more than a century ago. I congratulate
Hyundai and Mitsubishi for their announcements
today.
"Electric cars
have huge environmental benefits in that
they are far more energy efficient, can
significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
contribute no particulate or chemical pollution
from exhausts and are far quieter than conventional
internal combustion engine vehicles.
"The big advantage
of electric cars is that they are so much
more efficient than those powered by internal
combustion engines and can recapture the
energy of braking with the electric motor
becoming a generator. The limitation has
been their range but this is being extended
with new battery technology.
"With 40 percent
of New Zealand’s carbon dioxide emissions
coming from vehicles, these electric cars
can make a huge difference. New Zealand
is particularly well placed for electric
cars to reduce emissions with such a high
proportion of our electricity produced from
renewables.
"The Government
is aware of the higher cost of frontier
technology like electric cars. To assist
and encourage environmental conscious New
Zealanders to make the shift, we will be
making electric cars exempt from road user
charges. Officials are working with the
Government on the implementation of this
policy.
";New Zealanders
have a reputation as early adopters of new
technology and I hope there is strong uptake
of this new clean, green technology.";
Submissions on draft
ETS forestry allocation plan extended
Nick Smith, David Carter
- 12 February, 2009 - The Minister for Climate
Change Issues Nick Smith and the Minister
of Forestry David Carter today announced
an extension to the closing date for submissions
on the draft forestry allocation plan under
the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme.
“The forestry aspects
of the NZ ETS became effective on 1 January
2008 and remain in force,” Dr Smith says.
“However, in light of
the Government's confidence and supply agreement
with ACT, climate change policy is being
reviewed by a Special Select Committee.
That Select Committee is expected to report
back to Parliament in April.
”While the Select Committee
review is underway the Government is seeking
to avoid any confusion and move out the
dates for submissions on the draft forestry
allocation plan until 30 April 2009.”
David Carter said the
Government will be putting public notices
in newspapers to inform people of this extension.
“Subject to the Government's
consideration of the findings of the Select
Committee review, we also intend pushing
out the closing date for when landowners
with less than 50 hectares can apply for
exemption from the NZ ETS deforestation
provisions.”
These actions are not
pre-empting the final findings of the Select
Committee review and are part of the obligation
under the existing climate change legislation.
If you are unsure of
your obligations and entitlements under
the Emissions Trading Scheme visit: www.maf.govt.nz/sustainable-forestry/
or call 0800 CLIMATE (0800 254 628).
Nick Smith, David Carter Climate Change
Issues, Forestry
Nick Smith12 February, 2009
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Government welcomes
progress to protect Lake Taupo
Minister for the Environment
Nick Smith today welcomed a deal by the
Lake Taupo Protection Trust to convert more
than 930 hectares of farmland into forestry.
“Water quality is one
of the most challenging issues facing New
Zealand. It is particularly difficult in
the Lake Taupo catchment where we are dealing
with long-term effects.
“The reason I am so
enthusiastic about the Trust’s work and
this initiative with the owner of the land,
Boat Harbour Holdings, is that it involves
parties engaging and agreeing on solutions
that work both economically and environmentally.
“I congratulate the
Trust for this and for developing a programme
of work that will reduce the amount of nitrogen
flowing into the lake by 20 percent over
15 years.
“We will need more of
this kind of innovative approach if we are
to win the water quality battle in Lake
Taupo and other parts of New Zealand.”
