budget 2000: Nurturing the environment

New Zealand's clean, green environment must be maintained. It is important not just to the quality of life of our citizens but also to our image overseas and therefore to our tourism trade and to our export markets, especially for food.

Biodiversity

 $187 million New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy announced 8 June.

Energy efficiency

 $3 million a year funding boost to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. The new money virtually doubles the Authority's budget, taking it to $7.1 million a year.

Climate change

 An extra $2.3 million a year for work to enable New Zealand to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

Public transport

 The annual expenditure “cap” of $46.2 million on public transport will be lifted.

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