'Dross' car imports could be outlawed

Poor quality cars imported from overseas could be subjected to tighter rules, the Government said today.

Tighter controls on inefficient vehicles will be among measures proposed in a climate change policy, Climate Change Minister David Parker said.

He said there was some truth that New Zealand received the "bag end" of the global used car market and that "everyone else's dross" was being brought into the country.

The new policy will aim to fill the gulf left by the Government's decision in December to scrap its broad-based carbon tax.

That could be replaced by a narrower carbon tax on energy generators and major polluters, but a range of other initiatives are also planned.

Mr Parker today told MPs on Parliament's local government and environment committee that among the policy options would be measures aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of New Zealand's aged vehicle fleet.

One proposal would be to tighten import controls to block the worst offending vehicles from entering the country.

"There is some evidence that New Zealand gets the bag end of the world's second hand cars because our rules are more permissive than are found in a lot of other countries and I certainly don't think that our rules should be so permissive that we end up getting everyone else's dross," he said.

Such moves would have to be carefully implemented to make sure they did not deter people from replacing the nation's aged vehicle fleet.

The Government floated the measure last year, but at that time said it did not prefer it as an option.

However, with the axing of the carbon tax that may have changed.

New Zealand has some of the most relaxed car import rules in the developed world, which has contributed to an average vehicle age of about 12 years.

Adding to the problem is that an increasing proportion of the fleet is made up of aging diesel vehicles which give off worse fumes.

The climate change policy programme will be released in the next fortnight.

- NZPA