KEY POINTS:
A new local rubbish tax, the mandatory introduction of biofuels by petrol stations and making Government departments plant trees are part of a sweep of measures Labour says will make New Zealand a world leader in sustainability.
Helen Clark said yesterday in her annual Prime Minister's statement to Parliament that sustainability could become part of the country's identity - and compared it to the force of the New Zealand's anti-nuclear position.
"Our nuclear-free policy and the values which inspire it have become central to our national identity and how we project ourselves to the world.
"And so it must be with this century's environmental sustainability challenge.
"I believe that in the years to come, the pride we take in our quest for sustainability and carbon neutrality will define our nation."
The aim is for Government departments to set the best example and to prod the private sector and ordinary households to also adopt environmentally sound practices.
The rubbish tax is expected to emerge from a Green Party bill at present before a select committee and has been given the green light by Labour.
It is likely to be levied at rubbish dumps and is likely to be phased in at $10 a tonne for the first year, $20 in the second and $30 in the third.
It is expected that waste management companies levied would pass on the cost to consumers.
The tax will be administered by a unit within the Ministry for the Environment and will be redistributed on projects to reduce waste.
There may also be moves to regulate the types of products that can go into landfills.
The targets set on biofuels means that within five years 3.4 per cent of all oil companies' fuel sales will have to be biofuel (made from animal or vegetable products), or the companies will face a financial penalty.
And the Government's aim for the public service to set a good example will see departments such as Treasury and Inland Revenue having to fund tree planting on Crown land to offset increases in carbon emissions.
Helen Clark did not mention National at all, but she traversed social policy areas raised recently by National Party leader John Key - and outlined the Government's work to tackle poverty, welfare dependency, youth gangs and truancy.
"The message is that no part of our communities will be abandoned to gang influence. There must be no 'no go' zones."
She ran through some of the Government's already announced moves such as increasing elective surgery by 10 per cent, and indicated it would introduce a young apprenticeship scheme in schools allowing senior students to gain credits towards an apprenticeship while at school.
Borrowing a concept from British Prime Minister Tony Blair she said the Government was looking to "personalise education so that it is tailored to the needs of every student".
She confirmed that the Government was looking at giving police greater powers to get parolees recalled, in the wake of the release of convicted killer Graeme Burton, who is now facing another murder charge.
On foreign policy, Helen Clark noted New Zealand's growing relationship with South Africa as it emerged as "a major world opinion leader".
But she said she also wanted to emphasise "the very high value" the Government placed on its relationship with other Western nations.
Read Helen Clark's speech in full by clicking on the link below.
