Why Sustainable New Zealand?

Sustainable NZ

Sustainability is based on the principle that everything we need for our survival and well-being depends on our natural environment. It means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Our focus on sustainability means that we would be able to work with political parties on the left or right of politics to ensure that the environment is always a top political priority regardless of who makes up the government.

Our primary focus is on environmental matters such as clean water, sustainable oceans, protection of our native species, dealing with climate change; but these all have economic, social and cultural dimensions. A society with dramatic inequality is not sustainable. We need to move our economy away from polluting and environmentally destructive ways of doing things; by embracing technological and scientific innovation we can become wealthier, creating higher-paying jobs for New Zealanders, all while treading more lightly on the earth.

What Outcomes Does MMP Deliver?

The Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) system means that minor parties can have a major influence on a government as part of a coalition. The coalition arrangements of the current government allocated billions of dollars to political trophies and slush funds – the price of NZ First support for a Labour-led Government. We have also seen the scrapping of important environmental initiatives like the mandatory installation of cameras on fishing boats because the fishing industry are key NZ First donors and supporters. MMP should deliver better outcomes than this.

We believe that the MMP system should be a vehicle to place sustainability at the centre of every government. The coalition negotiations after each election are the best possible opportunity to ensure the sustainability of our environment and the sustainable development of a modern economy.

These changes will only be made with the emergence of a new political force that will use the levers of the MMP system to much better ends.

But What About the Greens?

The Green Party has made a deliberate decision not to use the leverage that comes with the number of MPs they have in Parliament. Instead of negotiating with both major parties, they have made a decision to always support the formation of a Labour Government, meaning that Labour can take them for granted. This is no way to get the best deal for the environment.

Having given away their negotiating advantage, they are in a weak position to demand funding for cleaner beaches and rivers, for modern sewage infrastructure in major cities, for sustainable management of our fisheries, a major upgrade in predator control, nor for the significant increases in science and research funding that will underwrite a modern, sustainable economy.

The Greens also have a historic tendency to be suspicious of scientific innovation – particularly in biotechnology – and hostile to business. New Zealand deserves a political party that will work together with the innovators in business and science who will lead the way through the complex and interconnected sustainability challenges of the coming century.

So What Are We Doing?

We are building a new political party based upon the principles of sustainability – one prepared to deal with either the National Party or the Labour Party in coalition negotiations – to leverage policies that will underpin a more Sustainable New Zealand.

Policy Outline

This outline is intended to provide a broad outline of the party’s position on significant issues to guide our policy development process and help supporters to decide if this is a party they want to join.

More detailed policy is currently being developed and will be released in the coming months.

Our vision is a clean, green New Zealand.
Our mission is to promote sustainable, prosperous communities.

The challenges we face are urgent and the environment can’t wait. We will make a real difference by 2021, one that can be sustained.

Our top 3 priorities

1. Our top priority is safe, healthy water that sustains life.
2. To save our native species from extinction.
3. We will create sustainable economic growth.

Clean, Safe Water

• We will clean up our freshwater and target reduction of sedimentation and run-off through improved land management.
• We will create a Minister for Water to coordinate all the councils, health boards and government departments that manage water.
• We will invest in improvements to stormwater and wastewater treatment.
• We will ask councils to work with each other to improve efficiency.
• We will support all commercial marinas to have safe hull cleaning facilities.

Oceans

• We will put cameras on fishing vessels and incentivise sustainable fisheries.
• We will consult on establishing more ocean sanctuaries.
• We will invest in our navy and air force to defend our Exclusive Economic Zone and protect our oceans.

No More Extinctions

• We will invest a billion dollars in conservation.
• We will fully implement the new Biodiversity Strategy and National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity.
• We will fund community groups and farmers to control pests and weeds.
• We will set aside land that is a significant habitat.
• We will support scientific advances in pest, weed and disease control.
• We will aggressively combat wilding pines and other plant pests.

Reducing Waste

• We will apply the provisions of the Waste Minimisation Act 2008.
• We will introduce product stewardship to reduce waste at source and progressively put in place an 85% plus recovery standard.
• We will apply a comprehensive landfill levy shifting the cost from ratepayers to waste producers.

Animal Welfare

• We will establish a Parliamentary Commissioner for Animals to prevent suffering.
• We will fund scientific research into new pest control methods.
• We will make microchipping of cats and dogs free and universal.

Reducing Emissions

• We will establish a Climate Change Commission and follow their advice to reduce global emissions and put a fair price on carbon.
• We will subsidise new technology to minimise emissions.
• We will work to double the amount of renewable electricity before 2050.
• We will stop the use of coal to generate electricity.
• We will phase out the use of coal for industrial process heating.
• We will work with farmers to be world-leading in sustainable farming.
• We will ‘offset’ our methane emissions through forestry.

Economy

• We will promote sustainable economic growth enabled by improved productivity.
• We will work to transition the economy to be more sustainable both financially and environmentally.
• We will make New Zealand a place where talent wants to live by accelerating the application of science to business innovation.
• We will tax ‘bads’ like pollution, waste and over-consumption to take the pressure off ‘goods’ like income, savings and profits.

Transport

• We will introduce variable congestion charges for private transport in urban areas.
• We will reallocate road space to enable safe transport choices.

Planning

• We will protect fertile and versatile soils and wetlands from development.
• We will stop new housing development in flood-prone areas.
• We will reform the planning regime for a simpler set of enforceable rules.

Housing

• We will make sure the infrastructure is in place to develop housing where people want to live.
• We will enable progressive shared ownership by tenants of state housing.
• We increase community housing for families with an option of shared equity.