My
My question is to the Minister for
real fairness problem with charging bottled water for
Glsh
Glsh Mr Speaker I stapd by my full quote, that there was
a real fairness problem with charging
bottled water for export in
isolation from other users.
isolation from other users. Supplementary. If that is the
case, is the minister intending to extend
subsidies to water bot lers,
as government subsidises
government subsidises irrigation in bottled
Mr Speaker, this Government is investing in water infrastructure
such as irrigation schemes, in
many instances where there are
substantive dividends for
water quality, and by
increasing minimum flows in rivers, including
an flows
flows in rivers, including an example in my own area. I'm
surprised the Green
Party is opposed.
opposed. Supplementary.
Supplementary. Does he not think the real unfair
seasons that NZ pure Blue could take
nearly
seasons that NZ pure Blue could take
from Blue Springs every day and yet pay
from Blue Springs every day and yet
The total amount of export bottled water is about nine million
litres per year. Total water takes
ten trillion litres a
year. The Government's point that if you
will have a sensible
discussion about pricing and allocation is that
you include all water users
and not separate out bottled water for
special treatment.
special treatment. Supplementary, Richard Prosser. Will
he immediately adopt New Zealand's
feek policy of the only charge to be applied to water takes being in the
form of a
applied to water takes being in the
or do we have to wait another 88
The problem with New Zealand First policy, Mr Speakers every
time I look it's a different policy. At the
last election New Zealand
First policy was that
nobody would be charged
policy was that nobody would be last
policy was that nobody would be charged for water. And how it
suddenly changed since then, I think
it's part of
suddenly changed since then, I think
approach that New Zealand First policy is whatever is the last
one. Point of order. Quite apart from
being wrong, the minister has
no responsibility for New
Zealand First policy. No. Order! The difficulty is
on this occasion when he asked, Mr
Prsser asked the question, he asked
asked if the Government would adopt the New Zealand First policy. Gave
every chance for the minister to
answer it.
answer it. Supplementary. So will
the minister guarantee that NZ Pure Blue
will pay a fair rate of royalties like
they would if they were extracting
and selling off oil, or gas or coal or
any
selling off oil, or gas or coal or
Dr Nick Smith. Each rule resource needs to be carefully
managed and considered. The key
difference with fresh water is there is 500 trillion
litres of new water that comes
into New Zealand's system
each year. Last year the Government set up
a technical advisory group on the
allocation and pricing of water.
The issue of bottled water exports is
one of the specific
issues the Government asked advice on how
we might proceed with reform.
Supplementary question.
Supplementary question. Isn't it the case that
his Government's oil and
gas strategy exports is failing, with
revenue declining and saying now they are
moving on to try to flog off
our most precious natural resource,
water, but without a fair return
to
The Hon Dr Nick Smith. I'm so confused about the
Green Party's position
confused about the Green Party's confused
confused about the Green Party's position on oil and gas. Half the
time they complain about the amount
of revenue it
generates for New Zealand and now they're
complaining the industry is going
backwards. I think it is typical of
the Greens all over the paddock.
Supplementary question.
all over the paddock. Supplementary question. Does
the minister genuinely believe it's fair
that a company will pay less than
resource that has a retail price of
bottled, does he think that is fair to
bottled, does he think that is fair
The Hon Dr Nick Smith. I dispute the member's numbers. Statistics NZ
says in total last year nine
million litres of water was
exported, comparing with a total extraction
from New Zealand for water
users of ten trillion litres, more than a
million times as much and what the
Government is simply arguing
is that million
Government is simply arguing is that if we're going to have a sensible
discussion about water pricing
and allocation, you need to
consider water users over and above
those that are for bottled water.
My
My question is to the Minister for
think the number of sales to first home buyers in Auckland falling to
the lowest level in 12 years is a
The
The Hon
The Hon Dr Nick Smith. Mr Speaker, no.