NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Budget 2018: Greenest Budget ever, says James Shaw

Jamie Morton
By Jamie Morton
Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·
17 May, 2018 02:48 AM7 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

More than $600m has been put toward environment-focused projects, including a $181m boost for the Department of Conservation. Photo / File

More than $600m has been put toward environment-focused projects, including a $181m boost for the Department of Conservation. Photo / File

KEY ENVIRONMENT SPENDS

• $100m for Green Investment Fund
• $181m for DOC
• $3.1m for new RMA watchdog
• $15m for Sustainable Farming Fund

What has been touted as the "the greenest Budget ever" has put more than $600 million toward environment-focused projects.

Among the green highlights of this year's Budget was the establishment of a $100m Green Investment Fund designed to drive a transition to a sustainable economy, a $181.6m cash boost for the Department of Conservation, a $15m top-up for the Sustainable Farming Fund and $3.1m for a new unit to police the Resource Management Act.

A series of green spends estimated at $618m came on top of public transport projects valued at up to $13.5 billon, including light rail from the Auckland CBD to the airport and a new billion-dollar fund for safe cycle and walkways.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But analysis showed that some environment areas were down on previous years' spending.

They included funds for the Ministry for the Environment to buy or develop assets ($1.34m, down 25.8 per cent), for implementing support around RMA management policy and practices ($12.9m, down 12.1 per cent), developing a national carbon accounting system to meet obligations under the Kyoto Protocol ($2.25m, down 37.8 per cent) and investigation and management of contaminated sites ($4.24m, down 38.8 per cent).

The well-signalled Green Investment Fund (GIF) would get a $100m kickstart from the Government, and aimed to attract billions of dollars in private investment to attract new jobs and wealth from green business.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's the greenest Budget ever, a win for our people and planet, and represents transformational change," Green Party co-leader and Climate Change Minister James Shaw said.

Shaw said the GIF would "stimulate significant private-sector finance" into the low-emissions projects and businesses.

"In places like Australia, the UK and some US states, green investment funds have been hugely successful, attracting capital to fund low-carbon transitions and reduce climate pollution," he said.

"As Mōhio's recent climate-finance report states, global capital is already shifting into climate-aligned investments."

Discover more

New Zealand|education

Budget 2018: $7.9 million to establish Child Poverty Unit

17 May 02:13 AM
New Zealand

Inquiry to assess where EQC quake response failed

17 May 02:19 AM
New Zealand|politics

Oranga Tamariki getting $270m over for next four years

17 May 02:39 AM
Opinion

Robertson has given himself more options

17 May 03:07 AM

Set to be established by the end of the year, the fund would repay initial Crown operational funding once self-sustaining, Shaw said.

Elsewhere in the climate space, an extra $14m would be spent passing a Zero Carbon Act, amending New Zealand's emissions trading scheme, establishing an independent Climate Change Commission and continuing efforts to make good on targets set under the Paris Agreement.

In the conservation space, as announced on Saturday, $181.6m would be spent over four years, marking a funding boost for the Department of Conservation.

That included an extra $81.3m in operating funds for predator control, enabling DOC to battle possums, rats and stoats over more than 1.8 milllion hectares.

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage said DOC's pest control improves forest health and the breeding success of threatened species like kaka, kea, rock wren, whio and bats.

"When 4000 of our native plants and animals are threatened or at risk of extinction, every single conservation dollar counts."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Also banked was $16.2m for DOC to strengthen its core capability and capacity, $5.5m to improve tourism management with new strategies in areas like transport and waste management, and $2.6m to fund better protection of the South Island's biodiversity-rich Mackenzie Basin.

"The total Vote Conservation baseline will have increased by an additional $60.2m annually by 2021-22, representing a 13 per cent increase on the 2017-18 conservation budget," Sage said.

She said there had been no Cabinet decision yet on a levy for international tourists, but an announcement around that was expected soon.

The $5.5m spend involved "being more strategic" around tourism, and "how they can be moved around better, rather than putting in ever-expanding carparks and the like".

On the MacKenzie Basin funding, she had been left an "omnishambles" after intensive development had been allowed in the region.

Efforts to protect the basin weren't working, she said, and although the spend would go some way, it wouldn't solve all of the issues.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Meanwhile, $3.1m has been allocated over four years for a new unit to oversee the Resource Management Act (RMA), which is itself set to be reformed over coming years.

"At present compliance, monitoring and enforcement actions are somewhat variable across councils," Environment Minister David Parker said. "The unit will improve the consistency, effectiveness and transparency of council enforcement of RMA rules and decisions."

Under the RMA, local authorities are delegated responsibility for the everyday management of land, freshwater and other resources, and for ensuring that growth and development occurs within the environmental bottom lines of the RMA.

These responsibilities include making local plans and rules, and processing and deciding resource consent applications.

Land use was mainly the responsibility of district and city councils, and freshwater use and quality that of regional councils.

"The establishment of the oversight unit will complement guidelines developed by councils to meet their responsibilities," Parker said. Legislative reforms requested by councils, such as extending the limitation period for prosecutions from six months to 12 months, would be considered as part of the RMA reforms.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Other big figures in the Vote Environment package were $1.7m over the next two years for an investigation into sites contaminated by per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances - mainly firefighting foam - and $8m of new operating funding over the same period for the Environmental Protection Authority.

Shaw and Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor further announced $15m of new operating funding over the next four years for the Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF).

"The Sustainable Farming Fund encourages unique collaborations among farmers and growers, scientists and researchers, iwi, local government and others who are making a real difference for our rural communities and the wider primary industries," O'Connor said.

There had been an oversubscription to the fund in recent years, meaning good projects aren't getting a look-in because the previous Government did not provide enough investment for the fund, O'Connor said.

In the last SFF round, 86 eligible applications were received but only 28 of these could be accepted.

However, Greenpeace questioned why the Government was spending $800m each year subsidising greenhouse gas pollution from agriculture, and not folding the sector into the emissions trading scheme.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"That's $800m a year that could be spent on providing critical public services for New Zealanders, not to mention cleaning up our environment and accelerating the transition to a clean, low-carbon economy," its head, Russel Norman, said.

"Despite acknowledging the urgent need for action on environmental issues, the Government's spending does not match this urgent need.

"In fact the biggest spend on climate in this Budget is to subsidise agricultural emissions to the tune of $800m a year."

Norman suggested that some of the $800m recouped from bringing agriculture into the ETS could be used to support New Zealand farms to transition to regenerative farming.

Forest and Bird chief executive Kevin Hague saw this year's Budget as a good step forward.

"For the first time in a long time there's been a real increase in the natural heritage fund, which is the bread and butter for DOC's conservation work," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Still a ways to go before conservation funding is where it needs to be to reverse the decline of our native species, but this is a significant step in the right direction."

Fish & Game chief executive Martin Taylor was pleased to see the Budget would help improve Overseer as a farm management tool.

"The sustained assault on the environment in recent years has hurt the environment and hurt New Zealand," he said.

"Today's announcement of extra money to help fix that damage is a big step forward and very welcome.

"Farmers need tools like Overseer to be fit for the vital job they are required to do."

Environmental Defence Society (EDS) policy director Raewyn Peart was happy to see the 16
per cent increase on DOC's previous allocation.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"EDS has been arguing for some years that DOC has been chronically underfunded for the job it does," Peart said.

"We see the increased funding as a vote of confidence in the DOC leadership team.

"After some years of debilitating and distracting restructuring, the department is finally settled and able to manage an expanded budget with the clear expectation that additional outputs will be delivered efficiently and effectively.

"We expect to see expanded staff levels within the department with increased policy, science and RMA capability."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Local contract for $70.5m Napier council and library precinct

09 May 06:00 PM
New Zealand

Her husband died years ago. Then she found a 'miracle' in her house's charred ruin

09 May 06:00 PM
Premium
Letters to the Editor

Letters: Brooke van Velden should remember she rode women’s wave to win Tamaki electorate

09 May 06:00 PM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Local contract for $70.5m Napier council and library precinct

Local contract for $70.5m Napier council and library precinct

09 May 06:00 PM

'We’re using this pivotal project to drive local job creation and economic momentum.'

Her husband died years ago. Then she found a 'miracle' in her house's charred ruin

Her husband died years ago. Then she found a 'miracle' in her house's charred ruin

09 May 06:00 PM
Premium
Letters: Brooke van Velden should remember she rode women’s wave to win Tamaki electorate

Letters: Brooke van Velden should remember she rode women’s wave to win Tamaki electorate

09 May 06:00 PM
Gisborne mayor invites Act leader to witness community support efforts

Gisborne mayor invites Act leader to witness community support efforts

09 May 06:00 PM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP