Green Party Conservation Spokesperson Metiria Turei has welcomed Government proposals for six climate change pilot projects on conservation land, but said the projects would need to be closely monitored to ensure the benefits were not entirely captured by the private sector.
"Conservation Minister Chris Carter has invited competitive tenders for six projects on 40,000 hectares of conservation land, some involving Kyoto compliant re-forestation measures. Others would entail pest control initiatives to enhance carbon storage, thus creating credits tradeable on the'grey market'" Mrs Turei says.
"The Greens welcome any initiative offering genuine climate change and conservation benefits. On the surface, these pilot projects may have both. It will be ideal if this proves to be a mechanism for the Government to obtain credits for the public through private investment in public land. Currently though, we do not know what conservation areas will be involved, and how the outcomes will be managed," Mrs Turei says
"One has to ask why the Government isn't enabling the Department of Conservation to set up, manage and onsell the subsequent credits for these projects itself. After all, plans are well advanced for DOC to use conservation land to help other government departments achieve carbon neutrality. It is hard to see why DOC will not have a similar managerial role with respect to these projects on conservation land.
"Empowering DOC to do the job would ensure this important job on conservation land is done to a high standard, over time.
"By putting the projects out to competitive tender, the Crown may attract some high bids — but the track record of public/private partnerships is that there is an incentive for the tendered price to then be recouped via jacking up costs and skimping on the quality of delivery.
"There are also questions on whether the public will retain access to the conservation lands involved. No opportunity for public input is envisaged before the conservation areas are selected, and the projects are put on the rails.
"As the plans for the pilot projects take firmer shape, the Government may have put sufficient safeguards in place. There is nothing wrong in principle, with private sector climate change initiatives on public land.
"However, it may also prove to have been better, and ultimately cheaper, for DOC to have been empowered to do the job itself," Mrs Turei says..
Subscribe to email newsletters
