A healthy helping of Greens

Keeping foreign biological invaders out, encouraging organic farming, protecting endangered species ... the Green Party's environment policy contains no surprises.

Predictably, keeping genetic modification at bay is a cornerstone of the policy issued yesterday.

The party says the policy aims to put the country's industry, environment and economy on a sustainable basis.



Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the policy was based on the acknowledgement that humans could not survive if they continued to degrade the environment.

"We eat, breathe and drink from our environment, and the health of human beings is inextricably linked to the health of the planet," she said.

The policy set the Greens apart from all other parties in commitment to the environment and would go a long way towards "greening" a future Labour-led government.

Other main points of the policy:

Biosecurity

* Develop a faster response mechanism to incursions.

* Continue extending public education and biosecurity awareness programmes.

* Recover the cost of responding to incursions from importers.

Farming

* Review the effectiveness of regional councils in protecting fresh water quality.

* Develop a pesticide reduction strategy with clear and early goals.

* Encourage organic growing through assistance and mortgage support.

Fisheries

* Require environmental assessment process for new fishing technologies.

* Set close to zero by-catch limits for threatened species such as albatrosses, petrels and sea lions, and be prepared to close fisheries if limits are exceeded.

* Insist that the Ministry of Fisheries adopt an ecosystem approach rather than a species approach in setting quota.

Climate change

* Cap thermal generation capacity at current levels, but allow more efficient stations to be built as replacements for existing stations.

* Regain public control of the rail track.

* Impose a carbon tax of $10 a tonne of carbon dioxide as part of an ecological tax reform.

Air quality

* Set emission standards for all classes of vehicles and introduce mandatory testing.

* Develop air quality standards.

* Require vehicle fuel to meet strict standards.

Waste and toxic materials

* Aim for a waste-free New Zealand by 2020.

* Impose levies on tonnes of waste sent to landfills and on hazardous substances.

Protected habitats

* Increase creation of mainland islands with intensive pest control.

* Establish new marine reserves with the goal of protecting 20 per cent of coastal waters.

- NZPA

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