Vote: Environment
Vote: Environment: Output Class D1: Environmental policy advice
Description
This output class covers policy advice on environmental policies and issues, such as implementation of the Sustainable Development for New Zealand – Programme of Action. It includes leading whole of government initiatives, co-ordinating interdepartmental activities and administration of legislation.
Outputs
The outputs in this output class are included in Chapter Four: Tables 4.1 – 4.3, as follows:
- Leading whole of government initiatives on:
- national oceans policy.
- Working with central government to lead and participate in interdepartmental
initiatives on:
- ensuring and providing integrated advice to Ministers and government
- sustainable development
- genetic modification
- improving the legislative framework.
- Working with local government on:
- improving the legislative framework
- making the legislation work
- environmental reporting
- addressing major environmental problems.
- Working with industry on:
- sustainable industry.
- Working with the community and iwi on:
- raising awareness and participation.
The Ministry will also monitor the Environmental Risk Management Authority, which includes:
- providing the Minister for the Environment with advice on ownership and purchase funding issues, including the Statement of Intent and Purchase Agreement and entity performance issues
- liaison with the Board and management.
Contribution to Ministry outcomes
This output class applies to all three outcomes and focuses on governance of the environment through regulatory mechanisms. Specific outputs are provided by each of the groups within the Ministry.
Service performance objectives
Quality of policy advice
All outputs will comply with the Ministry’s quality standards for policy advice (see Part Three for details of quality standards).
All statutory consultation is timely, intra vires and accurately represents Government policy.
Quantity and timeliness
In addition to the defined outputs for 2003/04 set out above, advice is also provided on issues on an ongoing basis, as requested by the Minister and specified in the work programme. The Minister for the Environment will expect that all reports and oral advice will be delivered within the agreed or statutory timeframe.
Output operating statement
| 2002/03 Main estimates $000 |
2002/03 Supplementary estimates $000 |
2002/03 Estimated actual $000 |
2003/04 Budget $000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | ||||
| Crown | 24,977 | 28,107 | 28,107 | 23,012 |
| Other | 25 | 10 | 10 | 25 |
| Total revenue | 25,002 | 28,117 | 28,117 | 23,037 |
| Annual appropriation | 25,002 | 28,117 | 27,061 | 23,037 |
| Surplus | – | – | 1056 | – |
All draft responses to ministerial correspondence and parliamentary questions will be completed to the following deadlines:
| Estimated quantity | Timeliness | Quality | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministerial correspondence | 1,100 | Draft replies completed within 20 working days. | 95% of first drafts accepted by the Minister. |
| Parliamentary questions | 200 | By the stipulated deadline. | 95% of replies to the satisfaction of the Minister. |
General ministerial advice
The ongoing work programme for the year includes:
- preparing speech notes as required for the Minister
- providing general advice to the Minister as required
- providing responses to ministerial correspondence and parliamentary questions.
Vote: Environment: Output Class D2: Administration of the Sustainable Management Fund and Landcare Trust and Residual Catchment Grants
This output class covers the administration costs associated with contracts for the Sustainable Management Fund, the Landcare Trust and the Residual Catchment Grants.
The Sustainable Management Fund, Landcare Trust, and Residual Catchment Grants are non-departmental output appropriations.
Output operating statement
| 2002/03 Main estimates $000 |
2002/03 Supplementary estimates $000 |
2002/03 Estimated actual $000 |
2003/04 Budget $000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | ||||
| Crown | 662 | 662 | 662 | 662 |
| Other | – | – | – | – |
| Total revenue | 662 | 662 | 662 | 662 |
| Annual appropriation | 662 | 662 | 662 | 662 |
| Surplus | – | – | – | – |
Service performance objectives
Quantity
The Minister for the Environment will expect advice to be delivered according to an agreed work programme. The programme may be updated during the year with the agreement of the Minister.
| Year | Number of SMF contracts approved |
|---|---|
| 2003/04 | 30 (expected) |
| 2002/03 | 23 |
| 2001/02 | 15 |
Quality
The Minister for the Environment will expect advice to be delivered in accordance with the Ministry’s quality standards for policy advice as set out in Part Three. The following quality standards will also be adhered to:
- forecasts will be accurate and appropriately monitored
- all material facts will be included
- all applications to the Sustainable Management Fund will be assessed against quality criteria as defined in the Sustainable Management Fund Guide for Applicants
- material presented will be effectively summarised, and will be concise, in plain English, and free of spelling and grammatical error
- projects funded through the Sustainable Management Fund are to be in accordance with criteria, amount and priorities approved by the Minister
- all payments are to be made in accordance with allocation criteria and conditions specified in project contracts.
Timeliness
The Minister for the Environment will expect that all reports and oral advice will be delivered within the agreed or statutory timeframe.
Administration of the Sustainable Management Fund, Landcare Trust and Residual Catchment Grants
The work programme for the year includes:
- assessing Sustainable Management Fund applications from a range of providers, and peer reviewing applications (150 project outlines and 25 applications anticipated)
- advising the Minister on grant allocations to successful SMF applicants for the funding round in April for 2003
- completing 10 performance and financial audits of SMF projects
- promoting wider use of the products of SMF projects
- managing projects tendered by the SMF
- making payments required to settle the Crown’s obligations under existing Deeds of Agreement
- making payments to the Landcare Trust, according to the Purchase Agreement between the Trust and the Minister for the Environment.
Vote: Environment: Output Class D3: Bioethics Council
This output class will enable the effective operation of the Bioethics Council. The Bioethics Council is a ministerial advisory committee. Its role is to:
- provide independent advice to government on biotechnological issues involving significant cultural, ethical and spiritual dimensions
- promote and participate in public dialogue on cultural, ethical and spiritual aspects of biotechnology, and enable public participation in the Council’s activities
- provide public information on the cultural, ethical and spiritual aspects of biotechnology.
Service performance objectives
To ensure that the administrative expectations of Government are met.
Bioethics Council
The work programme for the year includes:
- providing independent advice to the Government on biotechnological issues involving significant cultural, ethical and spiritual dimensions
- promoting and participating in public dialogue on cultural, ethical and spiritual aspects of biotechnology, and enabling public participation in the Council’s activities
- providing public information on the cultural, ethical and spiritual aspects of biotechnology.
Output operating statement
This output class is in its second year of operation.
| 2002/03 Main estimates $000 |
2002/03 Supplementary estimates $000 |
2002/03 Estimated actual $000 |
2003/04 Budget $000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | ||||
| Crown | 1,333 | 1,333 | 1,333 | 1,333 |
| Other | – | – | – | – |
| Total revenue | 1,333 | 1,333 | 1,333 | 1,333 |
| Annual appropriation | 1,333 | 1,333 | 889 | 1,333 |
| Surplus/(deficit) | – | – | 444 | – |
