United Future believes that all New Zealanders have the right to enjoy and utilise the natural environment, however, this must be balanced by an understanding of our responsibilities. All environmental decisions must be based on robust scientific evidence and not held captive solely by ideology. We are the commonsense greens.

Our environmental policy is based on four basic principles.

1. Sustainable use.
United Future does not advocate an open-slather approach to environmental management. The environment is our basic life support system and must remain in good health. We understand that if people want to use the environment for outdoor recreation, economic development, or to simply admire and appreciate it, then it must be used in ways that do not cause permanent widespread damage or compromise the needs of future generations to meet their own needs - i.e. in ways that are sustainable.

2. Sharing the environment.
The huge variety of outdoor user groups, ranging from conservationists to recreational groups, and from tourists to the extreme-sports fraternity, must be recognised, fostered and respected. The law must explicitly acknowledge that all outdoor user organisations have equal rights to practice their individual pursuits and promote their own interests. It is important to ensure that the imposition of laws and regulations do not favour one type of group over another - all are to be regarded as equal stakeholders.

3. Decisions to be based on empirical evidence - not ideology.
United Future is "commonsense greens". We believe that when environmental decisions are made, they should be based on robust scientific data - both in terms of identifying a "problem", and in terms of projecting what the actual outcome of a particular policy or remedy might be. We are constantly appalled at the ideologically-based, knee-jerk claims that appear to dominate current environmental debate, often with little or no evidence to support them. If the opinions of the current mainstream environmental movement ever hold sway inside parliament, we fear that the environment will become very much a no-go zone for humans - and for no good reason. (With all the limits on outdoor pursuits, quality of life, freedom of choice, and economic activity that that would entail).

4. Education is the best tool for protecting the environment.
United Future believes that balanced environmental education programmes in schools, as well as programmes targeting the general public, are a good method for ensuring quality environmental outcomes. If people act in an environmentally responsible manner of their own accord, there will be less need for cumbersome red tape and more emphasis on personal responsibility.

United Future will:

Regulatory framework (overview)

• Seek to use market mechanisms and economic instruments to regulate environmental behaviour;
• Seek greater use of multi-stakeholder decision-making processes and voluntary agreements over all aspects of environmental management (including on the Conservation estate);
• Remove the powers of the Minister of Conservation to block any development or activity that has received a resource consent;
• Continue to push for the establishment of National Environmental Standards on key environmental factors (e.g. water quality) that will protect the environment as well as giving local councils, businesses and individuals certainty as to what is required on a consistent nationwide basis;

Land Management

• Promote the planting of native trees and bush along or close by all inland waterways where practical, in order to limit soil erosion and reduce agricultural runoff;
• Encourage landowners to return non-viable farming land to native regenerative forest, possibly with assistance from the QEII National Trust;
• Conduct an assessment as to the environmental impact of particular activities on specific land and soil types, and use the RMA to zone and manage accordingly (e.g. certain pumice soils in the central North Island and certain alluvial flood plains in the South Island are not suitable for dairying);
• Require resource consents to convert forested areas to intensive agriculture;
• Boost funding for Crown Research Institutes to conduct research into the health, wellbeing and productivity of New Zealand soils, and to develop new techniques for remedying any deterioration that has occurred over time;

Pollution Reduction

• Provide additional funding to Regional Councils for a program to clean up all of New Zealand's lakes and rivers that are suffering from accumulated pollution such as agricultural runoff;
• Promote initiatives to reduce the use of dependent pesticides;
• Place a moratorium on the use of aerial 1080 until the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) has completed its reassessment of this poison and an integrated pest control strategy has been developed to guide its future use;
• Implement a well-funded programme to rapidly clean up contaminated sites around New Zealand;
• Require that all new Government vehicle fleet purchases will be hybrid vehicles where possible in order to help reduce the cost of purchasing and servicing such vehicles for all New Zealanders;
• Implement policies to reduce the average age of New Zealand's vehicle fleet (thereby reducing average fuel consumption and vehicle emissions);
• For example, instigate a minimum payment by the Government for every older vehicle that is taken off the road and dropped off at a "wrecker" for disposal, with greater amounts paid for vehicles that have had a WOF and registration within the preceding three months, compared to non-roadworthy vehicles.
• Assist poorer communities and local authorities with the improvement (or provision) of wastewater and sewerage treatment scheme facilities by expanding the Sanitary Works Subsidy Scheme and increasing the maximum financial assistance rate to 80% of total cost.

Energy Efficiency:

• Continue to promote energy efficient homes and technology via the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA);
• Make EECA the central funding agency for contestable funding programmes aimed at reducing long term energy consumption in small and medium enterprises (SMEs);
• Substantially boost funding to EECA for a comprehensive nationwide programme of retro-fitting existing homes with energy saving improvements (including better insulation, hot water cylinder wraps, low-flow shower heads, energy efficient light bulbs, and incentives for installing solar hot water heating);
• Adopt a national strategy, including private sector funding, to insulate all NZ homes to at least 1977 standards;
• Substantially boost investment in research and development for alternative energy systems and technologies (including hydrogen related);
• Require all Government entities to take the lead in creative energy reduction;
• Require all dwellings sold to be assessed for energy efficiency (e.g. insulation, double glazing, heating methods, use of solar energy) and given a standardised energy efficiency rating;
• Permit local authorities to incinerate rubbish using clean, high temperature combustion technology in order to reduce the need for new landfills (may also be used to generate small amounts of electricity and to recover certain metals etc).

Resource Management Act

• Continue to ensure that the Resource Management Act is a balanced piece of enabling legislation by requiring a biennial review of its operation with regard to the costs, delays and uncertainty faced by users;
• Require the Ministry for the Environment to monitor and benchmark Regional Authorities' administration of the Resource Management Act;

Genetic Modification

• Proceed with caution on all aspects of genetic modification technology using the Environmental Risk Management Authority's (ERMA) robust case-by-case assessment regime;

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