New Zealanders have a closer relationship to the natural environment than perhaps any other people on earth. In contrast to Europe and Asia, where civilisation has existed for thousands of years, New Zealand was the last significant land mass to be colonised by humans. We have much wilderness and natural beauty, and New Zealanders hold it dear.
The challenge is to balance our regard for the environment with our desire to live prosperous and comfortable lives. This challenge requires a rational and evidence-based approach to managing our resources. For example, ACT has supported mineral exploration in Schedule Four conservation land to find out if those areas might offer economic development potential that doesn’t excessively damage the environment. For another example, ACT believes that we are wasteful of water, arguably our most precious resource of all. We advocate the introduction of market pricing of water as used in Chile, parts of Australia, and the United States, to discourage waste.
ACT believes that wealth and economic freedom are not the enemies of the environment. In fact, international evidence shows that wealthier and economically freer countries look after their environments better than poorer countries with less economic freedom. ACT believes that a strong economy with strong private property rights go together. We support the efforts of voluntary groups such as Sustainable Coastlines as examples of non-government environmental protection.
In the last parliamentary term, with ACT’s pressure and support, the government:
• Delayed full implementation of the Emissions Trading Scheme which is a costly scheme with negligible environmental benefit;
• Moved towards the proper tolling of roads instead of fuel taxes as a sensible and low cost way to reduce congestion and emissions from our roads;
• Considered opening up Schedule Four conservation land to find out whether there might be the potential to create wealth with minimal environmental impact.
ACT will keep working for better environmental policy. A Party Vote for ACT is a vote to:
• Continue pushing the government to dump the Emissions Trading Scheme. The ETS takes wealth away from other uses, including other environmental protection initiatives, for negligible environmental benefit;
• Continue pushing the government to introduce road pricing as a way to reduce congestion and emissions on our roads;
• Continue pushing the government to introduce more market pricing of water;
• Continue supporting onshore and offshore mineral exploration; mining decisions should at least be informed by sufficient information;
• Acknowledge the role of voluntary groups in maintaining our environment.