Spending on Environment Protection Levels Off

Public Spending on Environment Protection Levels Off in 2003

Government spent nearly $1.3 billion on activities related to environmental protection in the year ended June 2003, Statistics New Zealand said today. This was more than 2.0 percent of total government spending, and up 1.4 percent from 2002 and 8.8 percent from 2001.

Environmental Protection Expenditure Account for the Public Sector: Years ended 2001 to 2003, released today, reports that central government spending was dominated by expenditure on managing biodiversity and landscape ($216 million or 66 percent of total expenditure) in 2003.

Local government expenditure was primarily on managing wastewater ($603 million or 64 percent of total expenditure) in 2003.

Local government spending on environmental protection was consistently three times the level of central government spending for each year from 2001 to 2003.

Environment protection expenditure (EPE) is an internationally recognised term used to describe all goods and services aimed at protecting the environment, and is an indicator of how much New Zealand is investing to repair or prevent damage to the natural environment.

Activities included in Environmental Protection Expenditure Account for the Public Sector: Years ended 2001 to 2003 are: waste and wastewater management, protection of biodiversity and landscape, and research and development. The report is available on the Statistics New Zealand website.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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