Bioenergy Association welcomes Auckland Low Carbon Plan

1 July 2014

BANZ Media Statement

Bioenergy Association welcomes Auckland’s adoption of a Low Carbon Plan

The Bioenergy Association of New Zealand (BANZ) today welcomed the Auckland Council’s release of its Energy Resilience and Low Carbon Action Plan, saying it will help create green jobs and foster economic growth as well as protect the climate.

“The Auckland Council’s Plan will encourage use of our natural resources such as the biomass from forestry and waste, which will open up bioenergy opportunities for business growth and employment that are currently being missed.”

Mr Brian Cox, the Executive Officer of the Bioenergy Association said “In particular the Bioenergy Association agrees that adoption of the plan would encourage business to investigate the opportunities from our full range of solid and liquid wastes. Growth in the use of clean technologies would also improve Auckland as a liveable city.”

The Low Carbon Plan includes a number of visionary goals and sets targets for 2040.

“It is good to see that the Council has been visionary enough to set real targets which will be a stretch but are achievable with the right leadership and facilitation. With the lack of such action from central government it is encouraging that local councils are taking the lead. Some of what the Council is proposing would not only assist individual businesses but would assist regional economic development, create additional employment and provide opportunities for export of skills to other regions. The low carbon and other benefits will come for free if we get the business opportunities right.”

Mr Cox said that “New Zealand’s cities produce significant quantities of resource that would otherwise go to waste, yet there are real opportunities to turn this into valuable products. As we move into a post petroleum era these resources are going to be valuable for the production of plastic substitutes, vehicle fuel and bio-based materials.”

Mr Cox added, “Bioenergy is often based on well proven technology and so doesn’t require research or low probability exploration such as for petroleum, but what it needs is facilitation so as to speed up growth of the market. The Action Plan from Auckland Council will provide the necessary stimulus.”

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