KEY COMMITMENTS

The Groups consider the following key commitments are fundamental to any political party’s platform.

Political parties should make the following commitments:

 

Protect from logging the 130,000 hectares of West Coast rainforest currently mismanaged by Timberlands West Coast. Disestablish Timberlands and transfer the management of West Coast exotic forests to a new body providing economic local benefits. Key sites: Okarito, Saltwater, Poerua, East Bank Maruia, Orikaka, Granville, Charleston, eastern Paparoas, Otira-Kopara, and Inangahua. Increase baseline Department of Conservation funding by $200 million over three years, with priority given to threatened species, habitat protection and restoration, pastoral lease property purchases, pest control and conservation advocacy. Replace the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry with a Ministry of Biosecurity, incorporating MAF Quarantine, and a Ministry of Food. Reallocate MAF’s residual functions to the Ministry for the Environment (sustainable land management and indigenous forests management) and Ministry of Commerce. Shift the emphasis of taxation away from expenditure and jobs and instead onto charges for environmentally damaging activities. Adopt a 20 percent or greater cut in 2008-2012 greenhouse gas emissions over 1990 levels and introduce a significant fiscally neutral carbon charge at a rate greater than $50/tonne CO2. Establish a five-year moratorium on the field testing and commercial release of genetically engineered organisms while a comprehensive public review and assessment of the long-term effects and risks is undertaken. Key action: amendment to HSNO Act to provide a 5 year moratorium.  Phase out chlorinated PVC plastic, chlorinated solvents and the small number of chlorinated anti-sapstain and timber treatment chemicals still in registered use by December 2002. Establish a Ministry of Marine Environmental Management with integrating legislation to achieve comprehensive management of the marine environment consistent with the UN Law of the Sea, the UN Fisheries Agreement and the Convention on Biodiversity. Protection of marine mammals, seabirds and marine reserves should stay with the Department of Conservation. Retain Government control and administration of fisheries management, research and enforcement, rather than devolving these functions to the fishing industry. Key action: reject the devolution and co-management proposals in the Fisheries Amendment Bill. Introduce requirements for environmental impact assessments for fishing activity. Key action: assessments of areas of known or potentially significant biodiversity, and of damaging methods and of new and exploratory fisheries. Provide safe refuges for marine life and enhance sustainable fisheries management by establishing marine protected areas including protecting 5% of New Zealand’s marine area as no-take marine reserves or marine protected areas by 2002, with 20% protected by 2010. Oppose the amendments to the Resource Management Act which restrict public participation or weaken environmental assessment provisions. Key action: review the Resource Management Amendment Bill. Resolve Treaty of Waitangi grievances by using productive Crown resources (eg SOE land and other resources) in the settlement of Treaty claims. Conservation land should only be used in special circumstances (eg urupa and notable pa sites). Maintain and enhance public foot access to the public conservation estate, and along the coast and waterways (including the Queen’s chain) except where ecologically damaging

Vision and Principles