Sustainable Biofuels & Forestry Bills go to the House

Green Party Member’s Bills to give New Zealand better biofuels and encourage sustainable forestry will go before the House, after the pair were drawn from the Member’s ballot today.

A Sustainable Biofuel Bill drafted by Jeanette Fitzsimons would make sure biofuels sold in New Zealand are good for the environment, by restoring a sustainability standard.

“New Zealand farmers are worried that the Government’s biodiesel scheme will lead to huge subsidies to foreign farmers,” Ms Fitzsimons, the Green Party’s Energy Spokesperson said. “The Member's Bill fixes the issues created by the Government’s present subsidy scheme.”

The Bill would rule out fuels made from food crops, made by destroying biodiversity, or which did not significantly reduce carbon emissions, Ms Fitzsimons said. The National Government recently set up a subsidy for biofuels but dropped sustainability standards along the way.

Meanwhile, the Customs and Excise (Sustainable Forestry) Amendment Bill drafted by Green Party Forestry Spokesperson Catherine Delahunty promotes sustainable forestry and encourages the production of certified timber products in the developing world.

“Illegal logging operations destroy old growth forests around the world. This Bill means New Zealand will only import sustainably produced timber and won’t be part of that destruction in the developing world,” Ms Delahunty said, also noting that the Bill would level the playing field for New Zealand wood producers.

The two bills were the only Member’s Bills drawn from today’s ballot. A total of 24 bills were in the draw, nine of them from the Green Party.

Link to Bills

Jeanette Fitzsimon's Sustainable Biofuels Bill
http://www.greens.org.nz/node/21327

Catherine Delahunty's Sustainable Forestry Bill
http://www.greens.org.nz/node/21366

Green Party Member's Bills

1. Marine Animals Protection Bill, Metiria Turei

2. Customs and Excise (Sustainable Forestry) Amendment Bill, Catherine Delahunty

3. Non-Aggression and the Lawful Use of Force (New Zealand) Bill, Kennedy Graham

4. Customs & Excise (Cruelty to Animals) Amendment Bill, Sue Kedgley

5. Head of State Referenda Bill, Keith Locke

6. Sustainable Biofuel Bill, Jeanette Fitzsimons

7. Citizens Initiated Referenda (Wording of Questions) Amendment Bill, Sue Bradford

8. Local Government Electoral Reform Bill, Russel Norman

9. Climate Change (Government Vehicle Procurement) Bill, Kevin Hague