This small country has a proud history of progressive reform. But some worry that the current government is turning back the clock.
New Zealand is a young island nation, known the world over for its clean, green reputation and breathtaking scenery. It’s a reputation that opens up markets for its exports and draws in millions of tourists looking for adventure. It is the lifeline of the economy and the employer to many thousands of people.
Indeed, it’s a reputation that has defined New Zealand as a nation and reflects the values that many of its people hold dear.
It’s also a reputation that is under threat from government policies that are undermining the country’s clean, green values.
Missed Opportunities
New Zealand is well-placed and well-equipped to achieve economic prosperity without compromising its environment. The government could stop the on-going battle that’s being waged on the country’s land, air and seas, and instead take action to become a global leader in cleaner, smarter development.
But, sadly, this is not the case.
The centre-right National party government has defined both its terms in office with two polarizing ambitions: to close the income gap with Australia by 2020, and to get New Zealand’s books back in surplus by the next election in 2014.
On the face of it, such aspirations would seem laudable. But they have become the basis for policies which are letting ‘economic growth at all costs’ ride roughshod over the people’s instinct and wisdom to protect their land.
Known in political circles as the ‘business growth agenda’, it has become the holy grail of economic reform. “Nothing creates jobs and boosts incomes better than business growth,” its architects claim. And who could disagree?
However, a more prosperous future for New Zealand depends on the type of business growth that it allows. And this is where the risk to its reputation lies.
At the heart of the government’s fiscal plan is the exploitation of the country’s natural resources — its oil, gas and coal reserves. The government has made it the centrepiece of its economic program. It is courting major oil companies to come and drill for oil in New Zealand’s deep seas and mine its land for coal.
Ministers are championing hydraulic fracturing for unconventional gas reserves, in spite of international and local community concerns over the effects of this polluting practice on human health.
New Zealand’s state-owned energy company, Solid Energy, has proposed to unlock some of the country’s six billion tonnes of lignite — the dirtiest coal and the most climate-polluting form of energy — to turn into diesel and coal briquettes. It is a carbon bomb that will shatter New Zealand’s efforts to tackle climate change.
Yet the government is eager to light the fuse. Nothing, it seems, is off the table.
In order to make it easier for big business to exploit the nation’s natural resources and bypass local consultation, the government has been rewriting the laws that were put in place to safeguard the environment.
Or, as the mantra has become, it’s ‘finding the right balance between economic growth and environmental loss’. In other words, a little bit of growth justifies a little bit of environmental damage, and so on. It pits the two against each other, rather than considering them as a whole.
Photo Credit: Greenpeace
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Paul
I don't quite catch on how New Zealand can be judged so negatively by this story, where is the supporting data? on what metrics is New Zealand underperforming (environmentally)? How is its future impacted by current government policies, and more importantly, what is the relationship between government (public policy making) and the democratic process?
The facts are, New Zealand is a very stable democracy with very sound, people driven, public policies. It is a benchmark model for sustainable utilisation of its environmental assets, and most importantly, its people truely understand that defending its treasured environmental assets requires economic strengths.
russ
You mean do away with the remaining property rights, raise taxes, and engage in fantasy. Yeah can't wait, sounds like a brilliant plan.
Clint
New Zealand has a myopic approach to the environment. People are unable to recognize its importance when short term economic and social problems are used by the government to distract from issues that will affect the country for future generations.
Beside tourism the biggest industry is agriculture which is given carte blanche towards the environment despite years of evidence that government intervention is necessary where industry has failed to act. Fonterra, the main dairy exporter, is a sacred cow that demands the industry be allowed a free hand in order to increase productivity but cannot attract enough young educated New Zealand workers because they refuse to properly invest enough in their own industry. They can instead demand concessions from the government.
Environmental disasters, such as the grounding of the container ship Rena, are quickly forgotten because responsibility is swept under the rug. In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster it should be apparent that governments need stronger control over industries that have the ability to impact the environment rather than opening the door to them and courting their favour. Not to mention privately run mines whose unsafe practices lead to the deaths of workers, such as at Pike River, because the government allowed greater self regulation rather than safety laws that exist in comparable countries such as Australia. These are the industries who are being given access to national parks.
New Zealand seems convinced that traffic pollution is invisible and so it is not a concern. The roading policy since the 1960's has been to defer until problems become bad enough to require expensive patching culminating in an ineffective system that doesn't lend itself to adapting to future needs. As oil prices continue their rise from the last decade diversity in solutions is necessary, especially in congested urban areas surrounded by sprawling suburbs. New Zealand's geography dictates the need for road based transport, hence the dependence on private cars, but cities are not adopting to new methods of managing traffic and integrating other forms of transport. Walking, cycling and public transport are an after thought.
The list goes on, but New Zealanders keep selling the "clean-green" image both to the world and themselves whilst ignoring the consistent degrading of their environment. A large environmental disaster might not be the real threat but instead a gradual decline under the auspices of economic activity. The basis of the economy is both productive use of the environment and its protection but selling out long term protection for short term economic gains has dangers that New Zealand needs to consider.
m
Im a New Zealander…and you’ve hit the nail on the head with this!
Uong Nguyen
I love the way the Kiwi handle their environment, nothing but meticulous. I respect them and wish many nations of the world can learn from them. Just arrive at their airport one would see and feel it right away. However, meticulous as they have been, but they cannot save the Christchurch from earthquake. Mankind can only do a little thing like that dinosaur of the past.
Matt
I stopped reading after "Ministers are championing hydraulic fracturing for unconventional gas reserves, in spite of international and local community concerns over the effects of this polluting practice on human health."
Texas is using hydraulic fracturing and it has not harmed anyone at all. In fact it has led to a wonderful economic boom which has saved our state from the economic malaise for which the rest of the country and even the world is going through. Don't be ridiculous. It just makes you poor.
Environmental extremists have a terrible effect on the country. Look at every place where it is practiced by the hard core believers. They are poor and getting poorer. Texas meanwhile is booming. South Dakota the same. Where is the Green Energy Boom? Where are the millions of green jobs? Nowhere. Don't be a sucker. You just go bankrupt and you lose credibility.
RedChina
http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/whats-fracking
See what danger lies in hydraulic fracturing, well but If always take contaminated water no wonder you are braindead
cheers
Matt
The gasland video was proven false. You must be very naive to think a state like Texas would commit environmental suicide. Land owners aren't ALL dumb. Grow up you lame brain. We are rich and we enjoy our beautiful environment. Don't be an environmentalist bigot just because someone disagrees. Your loss though. Texas is doing wonderful.
Nathanael
Actually, the Gasland video was proven to be 100% true, but go on and believe the propaganda you're being fed. Meanwhile, those of us who are smart are investing in water which won't be contaminated by fracking….
Dan Pendleton
Nice of Gov. Rick Perry to incentivize with tax breaks environmental polluters by letting go of thousands of public school teachers. Attaboy, Rick!
Matt
Name the school district that is firing teachers Dan. Texas is doing very good financially. Why would we have to let go of teachers in the middle of an economic boom and huge numbers of migrants coming in from all of the other poor states? I know for a fact there are a many new schools being built because of the incredible oil boom. Towns that have seen no new schools in fifty years are now finally able to build. Don't be so ignorant. It just keeps you poor. I am not part of the oil industry but it benefits the entire area. The evidence is legion. Drive around and look for yourself. All sorts of new businesses and schools and housing. Where is the evidence of the much hyped green energy boom? It is no one's interest to be poor. Please understand I'm just trying to offer a fair perspective from the heart of the Eagle Ford Shale boom. New Zealand would have to be crazy to turn down a perfectly safe economic boom. Especially in a depression.
Nathan
Hi Matt, thanks for your comments. You may find, in part, some of the answers on green growth and jobs in this recent Bloomberg article: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-26/the-supposed-decline-of-green-energy.html
Tiipene
where you coming from Matt,your dreaming,fracking and the like, will stuff Texas up,what about your children's children,
Company man are you?