Shane Jones
Economic Development Spokesperson

3 June 2010 Media Statement

Business as usual at Environmental Protection Authority
Establishing the Environmental Protection Authority as a stand-alone agency will not deliver new resources or fundamentally better outcomes, says Labour’s environment spokesman Shane Jones.

“The reality is that most of the 150 staff of the EPA once it actually gets up and running will actually be the 90 employees transferred from the Environmental Risk Management Authority.

“Many of the others will be engaged in the EPA’s role as a processor of major resource consents, with much of the EPA’s budget coming from the fees it charges for the big roading and energy projects it will help facilitate.

“Other EPA staff will simply be transferred from the Ministry for the Environment and other departments to take on current roles around responding to climate change, ozone depletion and Antarctica.”

Shane Jones says Environment Minister Nick Smith needs to define how many staff will actually be working on protecting the physical New Zealand environment.

“The Cabinet paper suggests six staff are currently employed within government
in the area of developing national environmental standards and that six more ‘will only be required should there be an increase’ in such activity.

“That doesn’t sound much like what Dr Smith boasts as ensuring the ‘protection of our environment at a national level’. This should be the core work of the EPA. It should not just be a glorified resource consent processor and grab bag repository for other activities,” Shane Jones said.

“Dr Smith is desperate to maintain the facade of National’s BlueGreen agenda at the same time as introducing policies that could damage our environment, like overturning Water Conservation Orders on Canterbury rivers."

Shane Jones said that while the Environmental Protection Authority will be stand-alone, its board will be accountable to the Environment Minister.

“He’s putting forward the EPA as some sort of environmental nirvana, but in reality it’s business as usual under another name. I’m not holding my breath about when it will begin as a stand-alone agency. Dr Smith had suggested 1 July 2010, but now even 1 July 2011 seems to be in some doubt.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media